As a child, Alex was severely bullied. She constantly heard that she wasn’t enough and after a while began to feel like the things that she heard people say were true.
After years of frustration boiled over, she flipped the script. She decided to get out of her comfort zone, start setting and reaching for some really ambitious goals and prove everyone wrong. A significant part of this journey included joining the Code2College program.
A rising Junior at Code2College partner school, Akins High School, Alex was incredibly eager to dive into the program. “My experience with Code2College has taught me so much about the Tech world and allowed me to figure out how much I love computers. I wouldn’t take back this experience for the world,” shared Alex.
One of Alex’s favorite parts of the program was the professional workshops held on Saturdays. “At my very first workshop, we practiced our own professional introductions – it was my favorite activity of the year. I learned how to talk to people in a more casual but professional way, and learned how to quickly pitch myself to people interested in me as a student and professional.”
This Spring, Alex put those elevator pitch and communications skills to good use when she was invited to interview with Code2College corporate partner, Silicon Labs. “Code2College taught me how to relax and focus during my interview. I would share that with other interview candidates as well. When you’re relaxed, you seem more confident.”
Both the technical skills she developed during the program year and her newfound calm demeanor helped her through her interview. In the end, Alex earned a Code2College summer internship with Silicon Labs. She has had an incredible experience over the past several weeks and continues to deliver value to her team.
When asked about the importance of Code2College in the Austin Tech Landscape, Alexandria mentioned, “Code2College provides opportunities for students who wouldn’t normally have a chance to experience professional development and coding skills. So many students of color and girls in the area lack access to these types of opportunities and Code2College is changing that circumstance.”
She wants to inspire and encourage students to join the Code2College program. “It is an amazing opportunity and experience. This program teaches you so much and you get to learn with professionals already in the Tech world.”
With her passion for coding and interest in the medical field, Alex plans to pursue a major in Biomedical Engineering in college. Given what we’ve seen when she puts her mind to a goal, we can’t wait to watch her continued success.