AI4All is an organization dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in AI education, research, development, and policy. 

 Black Girls CODE is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching girls ages 7-17 about computer programming and digital technology.
 Code.org is an organization dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. 

 Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.
KhanAcademy Computer Science Courses offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that helps learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom


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My journey into computer science has not been linear. I’ve always, and I mean always, loved things that have to do with computers. My favorite toy when I was a kid was called a Computron, which had math and word games. I started asking for a computer for Christmas when I was in third grade, but we did not get one in my home nor did I get one until after I graduated college. I did use a computer regularly in college using their computer lab, but it wasn’t a requirement for most classes. So I wasn’t well versed in computers until after I turned 18.


When did I create my first program, though? Well, that was senior year of high school. We were required to have graphing calculators, so I had a TI-86. That calculator had that PRGM button and I really wanted to use it. So I learned how to get things to work and created a program to solve linear systems of equations. I’m a math nerd and very proud of that, so of course my first program was for math.


In college, I majored in general sciences. I loved everything, so I took classes like Microbiology and Genetics, but also Chemistry and Physics and electives in those areas. But mostly, I took math classes. From Calculus 1, 2, and 3 to Differential Equations, and even History of Mathematics. I took it all. I just wanted to learn, but I had no idea what I’d do with the degree yet.


After I graduated, I tried my hand at law school, but that was not the path for me. I switched to a master’s in mathematics education and began teaching. I loved teaching math. I still love teaching math.


But I ended up with a published book in Applied Computational Thinking with Python, so how did THAT happen? Like I said, my journey wasn’t linear. I loved programming things, like Excel sheets that would make my job easier with some Visual Basic, or creating designs for products when I worked in educational publishing, which I did from 2006 to 2012. Any time I could use a programming language to make my life easier, I did.


In 2012, I started teaching again and was asked to not only teach math, but programming. And I got hooked. I studied every chance I got to learn more so I could teach more. I took courses in programming but also in robotics. I spent most of my summers absorbing what I could and designing classes. Currently, I’m a computational thinking teacher and run classes like Python programming, Game Design with Python and Scratch, Circuits, Robotics, Web Design, and more. Whenever I get a chance, I continue studying, on my own or in courses, focusing a lot of time in data science and machine learning as of late. I do not learn these things to get a job in the corporate world. I learn these things so I can get my students and other educators excited about STEM areas and I love it.
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