Announcing the 2023 CodeHS Scholars
Congratulations to these students pursuing CS after high school and being selected for the 2023 CodeHS Scholarship Program
We are excited to announce our 2023 CodeHS Scholars! These students were selected from a wide pool of impressive applicants evaluated on short essays, coding programs, and letters of recommendation from teachers.
The CodeHS Scholars will receive a $1,000 grant to support their post-secondary studies this fall. They will also have the opportunity to network with one another and members of the CodeHS team throughout their freshman year.
Read more below to learn about the scholars and their future plans:
Anshul Gulati- University of Texas at Austin — Computer Science
Why Computer Science? “It’s no secret that Computer Science is the key to the future. New technological innovations are constantly vaulting humanity into the future at an exponential pace, and Computer Science is at the forefront of that bleeding edge. I want to pursue Computer Science to specifically help progress tech into the future, using its limitless nature to help as many people as possible.”
What are you looking forward to in college? “I’m mostly looking forward to being able to structure my time as I’d like to! One thing I never particularly enjoyed in high school was that each day was really long and repetitive, and I think the way college schedules are set up with classes throughout the week enables more free time for students to use as they wish. I’m looking forward to using that time to pursue my interests and passion projects!”
What’s a fun fact about you? “One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is fold origami! I’ve folded a ton of planes, animals, flowers, and more.”
Carissa Ievers- University of Tennessee, Knoxville — Computer Science
Why Computer Science? “I am pursuing computer science, because I enjoyed the process of coding in high school and I want to pursue its concepts in-depth at the college level. I hope to use my knowledge to solve real-world problems in an applied setting.”
What are you looking forward to in college? “I am excited to connect with other students and professors in the engineering department from a variety of backgrounds. I also look forward to the Vols experience, including football games and exploring Knoxville.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “I have two 3-legged German Shepherds.”
Diana Nafal- University of Texas at Austin — Statistics and Data Science
Why Statistics and Data Science? “I am pursuing the Statistics and Data Science major due to my foundation in statistics, math, and computer programming. I am passionate about my major and I believe with proper learning and experience, I can pursue a career that will harbor my learning into a facility that can help others.”
What are you looking forward to in college? “I am most looking forward to learning new skills and techniques throughout my college years.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “I love traveling and exploring new places.”
Elijah Rosen- Carnegie Mellon University — Computer Science
Why Computer Science? “Both academically and concerning my career, my main interest is Computer Science. It’s always been my favorite subject to study, and I intend to continue following this passion wherever it takes me. I intend to get my BS in Computer Science, and I’m considering going to grad school to research AI. With the promising recent advances in AI capabilities over the last few years, it really feels like the field of AI is approaching an important breakthrough. I’d love to be a part of that research breakthrough, so though it’s far off from now, grad school is definitely an avenue I’m considering. It’s also my dream to someday start a Computer Science focused cooperative company. I believe that too often, programmers are forced to work under extremely stressful and unfair conditions, and in the future, I’d like to found a cooperative company that could ethically employ its workers and give them a say in the working conditions of the company.”
What are you looking forward to in college? The people you meet in college can often become life-long friends and peers, and I would love to meet new people in an environment like Carnegie Mellon’s campus. College is more than taking classes and meeting people, but they are both at the core of what excites me for the future.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “Last year, I made a project that I’m especially proud of, a python program I named the WizBot. It’s a program that automatically plays one of my favorite childhood games, Wizard101. Like many other online games, Wizard101 has a sort of community marketplace where people trade in-game resources for real money and vice versa. The bot I wrote automates the collection of a specific resource in the game that I could then exchange for actual money, but the process is fairly complicated! It relies on optical character recognition or OCR and photo recognition, two concepts I had never explored before this project!
Enzo Varela- Florida International University — Computer Science
Why Computer Science? “I always loved coding and my dream is to impact the world by creating something that will change people’s lives in a way that will make them easier/better (by creating an app, software, or something alike).”
What are you looking forward to in college? “I’m looking forward to participating in internships in college, so I can get the experience of how a real-world job is and learn as much as possible.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “I’m Brazilian and I’m bad at soccer.”
Jalen Hampton- North Carolina State University — Computer Science (Game Development)
Why Game Development? “I’m pursuing computer science because I hope to create video games that bring people joy. I know that my degree will give me a more diverse skill set and make me more marketable for future endeavors, which ultimately will lead to my dreams coming to fruition.”
What are you looking forward to in college? “Meeting new people and participating in events on campus.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “I’ve had perfect attendance in school since kindergarten.”
James Miller- Pennsylvania Western University, Clarion — Applied Computing
Why Applied Computing? “I am pursuing applied computing because I want to be a game developer someday. I want to be able to bring smiles to peoples faces who play games, and make games that can make other people happy, like they make me happy.”
What are you looking forward to in college? “I am looking forward to spending time with any new friends I make, as well as learning a new place. I’ve lived in the same area all my life and I am excited to see somewhere new.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “I have taken 5 years of German and I am in the German National Honor Society.”
Jarhec Arreola- New Mexico State University — Computer Science
Why Computer Science? “I am pursuing a Computer Science Major because of our evolving world. We are surrounded by technology. The immensity and complex systems that make up technology are incredible, but we have become so accustomed to them. Being able to major in such a degree that is not only our future, but that is ever changing, is a dream come true. I hope to make a positive impact with my future endeavors by being a part of creating technology that could very well build our future.”
What are you looking forward to in college? “In my college experience, I am most looking forward to being able to dive deeper into the art of computers and their systems, all while being surrounded by people who are just as passionate about what we are learning as I am.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “An interesting fact about me is that I do aerial arts.”
Jordyn Young- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — Computer Science
Why Computer Science? “Amid the blooming field of computer science, it is my goal to expand the inclusion of women in STEM, specifically girls in computer science. My goal is to remind everyone that computer science is for anyone and everyone despite race, gender, knowledge, and I plan on expanding this message in the future at my college and beyond. Furthermore, my hope is to conduct research on the relatively new field of blockchain and cryptocurrency. I have already learned a plethora of knowledge about these topics on CodeHS, which motivated me to further my knowledge in my future education. I hope to be able to implement these new technologies for businesses and protect user data.”
What are you looking forward to in college? “I am most looking forward to expanding my knowledge and collaborating with others in college to gain unique perspectives on the world.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “I love to snowboard and travel!”
Matilde Merlos- Purdue University — Cybersecurity
Why Cybersecurity? “I plan on pursuing a career in cybersecurity. I want to specialize in cybersecurity because I believe that being educated on how to prevent a data breach is essential in an increasingly digitized society. As the only daughter of immigrant parents, I know that people in some racial and ethnic minority groups do not have equal access to technological services; therefore, they are more likely to be victims of cyber attacks. Since cybersecurity is a social issue as much as it is a technological issue, my goal is to make navigating digital safety accessible among marginalized communities. My long-term goal is to have the opportunity to collaborate with tech companies and work closely with community members to provide computer safety resources to underrepresented ethnic and racial groups within cities with a diverse population.”
What are you looking forward to in college? “I am thrilled that I will be attending Purdue University. At Purdue, I plan on engaging in research projects and working closely with professors. I also plan on participating in student organizations like Women In Cybersecurity and Purdue’s Capture the Flag Team, to help me develop skills outside of the classroom. I’m also interested in internship opportunities that will allow me to learn and put new ideas into practice. Additionally, I will access resources available for female and Latino students, learn from qualified professionals, and collaborate closely with others. As a result, I will achieve my goal of making navigating digital safety accessible among marginalized communities.”
What’s a fun fact about you? “I have completed all of the Microsoft certifications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access), as well as the CompTIA Data+ certification throughout my high school career.”
Congratulations again to our 2023 CodeHS Scholars!
