Creating the Code: Learning HTML Sets Computer Science Undergrad on Path Toward Infinite Possibilities

Date

Portrait of Kaya Jones

TRANSCRIPT

Kaya Jones (CS 2nd Year): Back in seventh grade my teacher was  like, “Okay guys, we’re gonna learn HTML.â€� 

So once I found out, like wow, I can really just like create anything just from code; I have to go into CSN [computer science].

Why ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Tech? It’s just the culture. Your classmates—they’re willing to help out. Everyone wants to get better; it’s not cut-throat.

There’s not a lot of African-American women who are in CS. It is tough, but there are people around you who say, “Hey, we’re in this class together. We’re still going to get through it.â€� So that’s all that matters to me.

This season, I’m excited, because we have a really good group of girls. I came to visit, and just being in that environment and just being with my teammates—I was like, yeah, this is where I want to be.

I recently interned at NASA, so I was working on trying to update code documentation. Working at NASA has allowed me to meet a lot of people. I have built a lot of connections, and that’s what I am grateful for.  

One clean window of code: When I hit that spark of being able to create things—when I’m in that zone, I really like just get going. Coding for like two or three hours straight and like mom coming to the door, â€œOkay, Kaya, it’s like 2 a.m. It’s like, you need to go to bed now.â€�

So that’s just what I fell in love with—just that grind, I guess.