Coding and Sisterhood: Vivian Phung
Hi! My name is Vivian Phung, and I am from Hayward, California. Girls Who Code has given me the chance to pursue a subject that I have always been interested in learning, but never had the chance to do it. Computer science is a growing field that will become more prevalent as the world continues to innovate. Women will only fill three percent of the 1.4 million jobs available by 2020 in computing related fields.
I have the ability to fill that gap. As a student, I love math because it cannot be swayed by politics, economics, or social standing. Math is set in colors of black and white. Sadly, the world is not. Society often does not value females with potential, but rather, they see us by past accomplishments. Girls Who Code believes in girls’ potential rather than the innate belief that we are not as good because we haven’t achieved anything in the past. That’s why my favorite part of the Summer Immersion Program at Facebook is gaining the knowledge and ability to code without any previous experience — and do it in seven weeks!
Moreover, I have joined a sisterhood stronger than I could have ever imagined. The girls in my program have become essentially my sisters. I go to them when I have a hard day, encounter a bug in my code I cannot figure out, and need someone to cheer me on before going onstage to give a presentation. Our bond is so strong that I know our friendship will last for years to come.
The hardest part of learning how to code is asking for help. Normally, I am a self-sufficient student who enjoys learning things on my own, but in coding, I am learning that it is okay to ask for help, especially when you are starting because it is just like learning how to read. It is okay for someone to read books to you because later you will be able to read books for yourself. So, if you ever want to learn how to code, do math, or learn something new, never be afraid to ask someone. Coding is not something you learn in one day, one month, or one year. Coding, just like life, is a lifelong learning process.
I want to advise anybody, especially girls, who want to start learning computer science to not be afraid of mistakes. There are going to be times when you don’t understand why your code isn’t working and get frustrated. Don’t give up. Use Google, reach out to people, and most importantly don’t give up.
I love this type of learning and want to pursue a bachelors in science in applied mathematics with an emphasis in computer science and a master’s in computational computing. After college, I hope to work for Facebook and later establish a startup that does social good.
Originally published at imagirlwhocodes.com on July 31, 2017.
