Last Saturday, the Code2College program cohort convened for their first of eight monthly professional development workshops. Students from both of our partner schools (Akins High School and Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders) had a chance to meet for the first time to participate in team building activities, learn about the history of computing, share feedback on the STEM careers and industries they wanted to learn more about and practice their professional engagement and networking skills.
And as a surprise, students had an opportunity to put these skills into practice as professionals from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Austin Community College and Facebook came to serve on a career panel to discuss their pathways to STEM careers and provide insights on how students could prepare for STEM careers starting in high school. Despite the surprise, students rose to the occasion and asked some hard-hitting questions. The panelists were so impressed, that they’re hoping to return soon with even more representatives from their organizations!