In her words: Failure is an option
By: Girls Who Code Alumni, Manvi Saxena
As a high schooler, I knew I loved technology, specifically robotics. I also knew that to succeed in the future I wanted for myself in robotics, I would need to learn programming. I had tried a few times before, using brief online courses or asking my friends in computer science classes to show me how to get started, but those attempts always ended in frustration and reinforced what I kept telling myself — “I don’t have what it takes to be a programmer”.
In 2017, I decided to push myself and give computer science another shot. I applied to the Summer Immersion Program (admittedly, on a bit of a whim), and I couldn’t be more grateful that I did it. Through the program, I learned that failure is an option — and it oftentimes leads to the most development and learning. I became less afraid of imperfection, while maintaining my motivation to make something that works and matters.
By taking the plunge with Girls Who Code, I not only gained a lot of technical skills, I also became a more confident person and realized that I can be a programmer. I also gained the confidence I needed in my skills and abilities to major in engineering and make my goals of a career in robotics a reality. I am currently pursuing a degree in Intelligent Systems Engineering at Indiana University, where I am also assisting in research in a social robotics lab.
Through the program, I learned that failure is an option — and it oftentimes leads to the most development and learning. I became less afraid of imperfection, while maintaining my motivation to make something that works and matters.
Though I have yet to enter the workforce as a woman in technology, I see just how important organizations like Girls Who Code are as an undergraduate woman studying STEM. It is so important to have communities like this, where women can support each other and lift each other up while developing our skills and challenging each other.
I am incredibly excited to return to the Summer Immersion Program as a Teaching Assistant this summer! I cannot wait to give back to a program that did so much for me, and am looking forward to seeing what this summer of code holds!
Manvi Saxena is an alumni of Girls Who Code’s 2017 Summer Immersion Program. Manvi will be a Teaching Assistant for Girls Who Code’s 2019 Summer Immersion. She is currently studying at Indiana University Bloomington with a major in Intelligent Systems Engineering.
