Juliette Palacios, 17, of Berkeley, California, first tried coding, or computer programming, in fourth grade, when she learned how to move a character through a maze onscreen. She loved coding immediately, but didn’t pursue her interest further until high school, when she began taking computer classes. That inspired her to start Computing Minds, a nonprofit organization that teaches young people, especially girls, to code.
Q: Why do you like coding?
A: I really love how creative you can be. One of the most fun parts is planning the project and then seeing what can be done.
Q: Why did you decide to start Computing Minds?
A: I saw how few females there are in computer science. I had such a fun first experience, and I wanted other girls to have a positive first experience with computer science too.
Q: Why is diversity important when it comes to computer science?
A: If only one type of person is designing an app, it might only be interesting for people who have the same values and interests—but if someone comes in with a different experience, they could contribute a lot.
Q: How can teens learn to code?
A: You can sign up with Computing Minds or go to scratch.mit.edu. It’s totally free to create projects on there, and it has a visual aspect, so that’s a fun way to get started.
(This interview was edited and condensed for length and clarity.)