Meet the Champions
Garima Singh is currently a sophomore at Yale University majoring in Neuroscience and Computer Science.
Garima grew up with a fascination for science but never imagined that she would get interested in coding. The thought of sitting at a computer "typing stuff" bored her. Nevertheless, she decided to try it out by taking the AP Computer Science course her sophomore year in Westwood High School, Austin, TX. Just before that in the summer, she took an Intro to HTML/CSS class through Girl Develop It Austin in summer 2013 and found herself enjoying the fact that she could create what she had been seeing and using on websites. The AP Computer Science course further strengthened her liking for the logical problem solving and creativity involved in this field. The real world problem solving aspect of it excited her and she went on to pursue a two-year IB course in Computer Science during her junior and senior years.
Garima saw that despite being such huge consumers of technology, the youth at large (especially young girls) was still not motivated to becoming creators of it. She knew that many people found coding intimidating or were yet not aware that it is a helpful skill no matter what career they choose. She wanted to change this by educating kids and their parents and showing them that it can be fun and rewarding. The CoderDojo philosophy of getting the community – kids, parents, educators, mentors from the tech industry – all together in one place and have them learn by doing, teaching and sharing appealed to her and she started this Dojo in March 2015. Garima is no longer able to mentor regularly at the Dojo but helps out during her college breaks.
After getting over her own negative mindset, Garima worked to reduce the gender gap in technology fields by starting Austin's first Girls Who Code Club at her high school and volunteering with GirlConnect Codes, a program launched by GENaustin at Crockett High School. She also joined her school’s inaugural Warrior Tech club that worked to educate staff and students about technology and helps with any related issues. She was selected as a winner of the 2015 & 2016 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, Central Texas Affiliate. In her senior high school year, she worked as an Alumni Liaison to help launch Girls Who Code's inaugural Summer Immersion Program in Austin. Recently (summer of 2017), she worked as a Teaching Assistant at Girls Who Code's 7 weeks long free Summer Immersion Program for high school girls held at IBM, Austin.
Garima grew up with a fascination for science but never imagined that she would get interested in coding. The thought of sitting at a computer "typing stuff" bored her. Nevertheless, she decided to try it out by taking the AP Computer Science course her sophomore year in Westwood High School, Austin, TX. Just before that in the summer, she took an Intro to HTML/CSS class through Girl Develop It Austin in summer 2013 and found herself enjoying the fact that she could create what she had been seeing and using on websites. The AP Computer Science course further strengthened her liking for the logical problem solving and creativity involved in this field. The real world problem solving aspect of it excited her and she went on to pursue a two-year IB course in Computer Science during her junior and senior years.
Garima saw that despite being such huge consumers of technology, the youth at large (especially young girls) was still not motivated to becoming creators of it. She knew that many people found coding intimidating or were yet not aware that it is a helpful skill no matter what career they choose. She wanted to change this by educating kids and their parents and showing them that it can be fun and rewarding. The CoderDojo philosophy of getting the community – kids, parents, educators, mentors from the tech industry – all together in one place and have them learn by doing, teaching and sharing appealed to her and she started this Dojo in March 2015. Garima is no longer able to mentor regularly at the Dojo but helps out during her college breaks.
After getting over her own negative mindset, Garima worked to reduce the gender gap in technology fields by starting Austin's first Girls Who Code Club at her high school and volunteering with GirlConnect Codes, a program launched by GENaustin at Crockett High School. She also joined her school’s inaugural Warrior Tech club that worked to educate staff and students about technology and helps with any related issues. She was selected as a winner of the 2015 & 2016 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, Central Texas Affiliate. In her senior high school year, she worked as an Alumni Liaison to help launch Girls Who Code's inaugural Summer Immersion Program in Austin. Recently (summer of 2017), she worked as a Teaching Assistant at Girls Who Code's 7 weeks long free Summer Immersion Program for high school girls held at IBM, Austin.
Ruma Singh received her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in India in 1990. She worked as a software developer and systems analyst in India and Toronto till 2001. She then left her job and moved to Novi, MI where she had her second child in 2002. She moved to Round Rock with her family in Dec 2004 and has lived here ever since. She enjoys the Texas sun and the family-friendly cities of Round Rock and Austin.
Ruma enjoys spending time with her children and being involved in their schools. She has helped start and worked with several Science and Math programs at the elementary and middle schools. She firmly believes that it does take a village to raise a child and is excited to help her daughter expand the CoderDojo movement and get the community together to share and learn.
Ruma enjoys spending time with her children and being involved in their schools. She has helped start and worked with several Science and Math programs at the elementary and middle schools. She firmly believes that it does take a village to raise a child and is excited to help her daughter expand the CoderDojo movement and get the community together to share and learn.
Meet the Mentors
Click the picture of each mentor to learn more about them.