Technologist

My tech journey began in the fourth grade when my mom purchased our first computer. I was so obsessed with everything the computer could do and spent as much time as possible exploring. I began coding in HTML on MySpace and would write tags on sticky notes to keep them on my wall so that I could remember. I attended Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology in Charlotte, NC for high school, where I fell deeper in love with technology through my coursework. I was especially hooked when I learned how I could code programs that people could use and interact with. I took AP Computer Science where I learned Java which helped me transition into courses in college.

I went on to obtain a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University and a Masters of Information Technology with a concentration in Human Computer Interaction in 2016. Over the years, I've held technical internships at companies like Wells Fargo, Deloitte, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America, and Apple. Additionally, I worked full-time at Apple (at their headquarters in California) as a User Experience Designer and Researcher where I helped design enterprise applications, which reached all Apple employees.

Educator

My journey as an educator began with the founding of my non-profit, INTech Camp for Girls, where our mission is to inform and inspire girls to innovate in the technology industry. INTech targets Black girls in grades 6th - 12th through summer camps and after school programs, which teaches them how to build software solutions, introduces them to women of color in tech, and allows them to explore tech careers at various companies across the US.

In addition to INTech, I have served as an adjunct professor at Johnson C. Smith University where I taught Computer Networking. In 2018, I was the lead teacher for the Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI) at Johnson C. Smith where I taught HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Python.

In 2018, I created a one-hour coding experience for the Dream Village Tour, where students in Chicago, Atlanta, and Wisconsin to gain an enriching learning experience on the Dream Village Tour Bus mobile classroom. I've also created other workshop experiences teaching non-profit basics.

Researcher

I earned my Ph.D. in Education as a Presidential Future Faculty Fellow at Temple University where my research focused on computer science education. I specifically focused on broadening participation in computing (BPC) amongst Black girls. I studied the intersectionality of Black girls in computing to inform my work with INTech Camp for Girls (now INTech Foundation) in order to determine what about the program works so that others can learn and replicate our success.  

Publications