Many young teenage girls are intimidated when entering the field of computer science due to the vast majority of male competition. However, The Girls Who Code Club confronts these hesitations by providing a space where women can practice their interests in computer science and coding. Participants are allowed to explore their capabilities and develop new skills.
Girls Who Code is an organization at Carlmont for women interested in technology and the design of coding. It encourages girls to gain more courage and try new types of coding which are not commonly promoted towards them. The club also introduces new concepts and helps individuals to build upon their skills.
“We have meetings every Thursday where we give presentations on women in technology to inspire individuals. After school, we have an open lab, which is where I teach members how to code,” said Jessica Yu, a senior and the co-president of Carlmont’s Girls Who Code Club.
The members of the club discuss computer concepts, the use different coding websites, and practice coding during open labs, which typically occur on the days with shorter lunches.
Katelyn Gambarin, a sophomore, joined the club to improve upon her computer engineering capabilities.
“I joined this club because computer science seems interesting, and I wanted to put myself in an environment where I could try different types of computer languages without having to deal with pressure from those who might be more experienced than I am,” Gambarin said. “The club encourages girls to be braver and allows them to have the opportunity to try something new.”
The competition for females is still rising in the computer science field. However, the skills and attitudes gained from the club help build the confidence needed for women to be successful in the computer science community.
“Only about one in five scientists are women, which is not equal, so we want more women to do the science interactions and be the inspiration behind it,” Yu said.
Girls Who Code members can also look forward to the coding and bonding which happens during meetings. The environment is set to be very collective and inviting with the amount of support provided by each girl in the club.
“The meetings can be changed around to complete different activities or have guest speakers perform. I think overall it’s a very welcoming and educating club,” said Melody Liu, a senior, and a participant of Girls Who Code.
Yu is planning on incorporating more presentations and guest speakers more frequently as the success and skills of the students rise.
“We are working on another guest speaker, possibly a panel, and we are also working on a quiz game for Python. I hope the club can expand and impact others more and maybe even receive some voice income,” Yu said.
After a successful start to the club with talented students, the co-president hopes to see the club’s members advance in their goals and motivations.
“Girls are just as capable of learning how to code and recognizing that they have the skills and knowledge to do that [being confident] and not listen to others,” Yu said.
