Announcing the 2026 CodeHS Scholars
CodeHS is excited to announce the 2026 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 each 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:
Tatyanna Perez —University of Connecticut— Computer Science
Alma Mater: Manchester High School, Manchester Public School District, Connecticut
Why do you want to pursue this major?
I am pursuing Computer Science because I enjoy solving problems and learning how technology works behind the scenes. My experiences in programming classes and my IT internship showed me how technology can be used to help people and improve everyday uses. I hope to use my skills to create secure and accessible technology that helps others. I am especially interested in cybersecurity and want to help protect people and organizations from digital threats.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
I am most looking forward to meeting new people, gaining hands-on experience through internships and projects, and growing both academically and personally as I prepare for my future career.
Share a fun fact about yourself:
A fun fact about me is that I've been playing Minecraft since I was about seven years old. I've spent countless hours building, exploring, and occasionally getting lost, but I've never gotten tired of it.
Kyle Menezes— Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — Aeronautical Engineering
Alma Mater: Highland High School, Highland Central School District, New York
Why do you want to pursue these majors?
I am pursuing a major in aeronautical engineering in order to make aircraft more efficient and safer. I hope to achieve this by combining my programming skills with my passion for aviation.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
I am looking forward to meeting new people with different backgrounds and working with others on new projects. I am eager to challenge myself, expand my knowledge, and explore the possibilities offered by college.
Share a fun fact about yourself:
I have played the violin since I was eight.
Gabriel Lazaro — University of California, Santa Cruz— Computer Science Alma Mater: James C. Enochs High School, Modesto City Schools, California
Why do you want to pursue this major?
I am pursuing my intended major because I have had an interest with computers since I was a teenager. I hope to make a positive impact through the repairing of ageing digital infrastructure throughout the world.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
I am most looking forward to meeting new people and exploring the new environment during my college experience.
Share a fun fact about yourself:
I do audio manipulation via a DAW known as Logic Pro as a pastime hobby.
Khadijah Adegbite — Wake Tech Community College— Computer Science
Alma Mater: Athens Drive Magnet High School, Wake County Public School System, North Carolina 
Why do you want to pursue this major?
I am pursuing Computer Science mainly to impact the world of technology in a more unique outlook of technology. With AI coming in really fast and everything basically being gone with AI I do think it's at that point where majoring in Comp Sci with a focus in AI while still focusing deeply in cyber security is something I would love to look into and I'm interested in because of how impactful I do think it'll be. I hope to be able to implement more security strategies all over tech and the internet because as good as we have it now, it's still not enough especially in AI and the potential brainwashing that AI is doing to many people because of the lack of security measures on it.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
Being more involved at school and just learning about everything in general especially subjects that pertain to my major like Math, Java classes, and more!
Share a fun fact about yourself:
I love coding! It’s not fun sometimes and it gets me quickly irritated but seeing the end results is just the fun part of it all…knowing that that was something I coded is working is fun.
Isaiah Blanc— University of Maryland: College Park — Computer Science
Alma Mater: Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland
Why do you want to pursue this major?
I've always wanted to pursue computer science since I was younger. Today, I hope to innovate in the robotics industry and use my skills to protect the Earth and substitute workers in dangerous or difficult work environments with robots.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
In college, I'm looking forward to meeting new friends and focusing on my passion the most. I'm excited to find like-minded individuals who share my goals and values, but I'm also interested in expanding my perspective and learning about new fields related and unrelated to my major. In addition, I'm especially eager to further my knowledge about computer science and start working on personal or school-related projects. There is a large variety of paths you can take pursuing computer science, and I'm ready to explore as many as I can.
Share a fun fact about yourself:
I have a black belt in martial arts!
Miah Simpson — Champlain College— Game Programming
Alma Mater: Beekmantown High School, Beekmantown Central School District, New York
Why do you want to pursue this major?
I am pursuing programming because coding has become one of my favorite hobbies throughout middle school and high school. Over the past year, especially, my technology teacher, Mr. Yonteff has inspired me to not just apply my skills, but build them. I have grown both as a programmer and a person taking his courses this year, and I hope that by pursuing this major I get to inspire other people to chase their passions as well.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
I am most looking forward to what I may be able to learn from the people surrounding me. I am excited for all the new activities and hobbies I may be able to try out by surrounding myself with a new group of people just as uplifting as my high school friends, and I'm excited about the skills I may be able to learn while I'm away and independent.
Share a fun fact about yourself:
I have 5 wisdom teeth
Athena Li — University of California, Berkeley— Computer Science
Alma Mater: Piedmont High School, Piedmont Unified School District. California
Why do you want to pursue this major?
I'm studying computer science because I think it's a super interesting and powerful tool to solve problems across so many fields. I'm especially interested in robotics, and I hope to develop technology that improves how people interface with the world and improve accessibility.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
I'm most looking forward to getting involved with new clubs, projects, and research! I'm really excited to learn from my classmates and professors and apply that in new and hands-on settings.
Share a fun fact about yourself:
This year I made an electric guitar from scratch!
Jessica Schmilovich —Stanford University — Computer Science and Mathematics
Alma Mater: Pine Crest School, Florida
Why do you want to pursue these majors?
I'm pursuing Computer Science and Mathematics because they're the foundation for the AI systems I'm passionate about building, from deep learning to large language models to agentic AI, and I want to understand them at the depth where the next advances are made. I hope to make a positive impact by developing AI for communities too often excluded from tech, an approach I've put into practice through projects like Flip the Switch, a mental wellness app reaching 300,000+ students globally, and AuthentiCheck AI, a misinformation detection platform serving 1,000+ users.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
I'm most looking forward to moving across the country and starting a new chapter in a place with so much ambition in the air. I'm excited to dive deeper into STEM, meet new people from all over, make lifelong friends, and explore all the clubs, activities, and experiences Stanford has to offer. Most of all, I can't wait to be surrounded by people who are just as curious and excited about what's ahead as I am.
Share a fun fact about yourself:
Singing is a huge part of my life, especially musical theater, jazz, and classical music, and I'll jump at any chance to belt a Broadway number.
Parker Carlson— University of Alabama in Huntsville — Information Systems
Alma Mater: James Clemens High School, Madison City Schools, Alabama
Why do you want to pursue this major?
I am pursuing a major in Cybersecurity with a concentration in Information Systems and minors in Research Psychology and Software Development because I view the digital world not merely as a network of code, but as a landscape of possibility for human interaction and self-introspection. My personal journey has always been deeply defined by my connection to safe digital spaces where I could safely explore my own psyche and could be supported and uplifted by my community. I hope to help others find the same by combining my technical fascination with software engineering and my passion for understanding our inner worlds. By studying Cybersecurity and Software Development at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), I can advance my understanding of the foundational logic of computer systems, data integrity, and human-centric user experience design. Simultaneously, through a minor in Research Psychology, I intend to bridge the gap between technology and mental health accessibility, using my technical prowess to build digital spaces dedicated to safe and immersive self-understanding.
Through my future endeavors, I hope to make a multi-layered positive impact on both my immediate community and the broader world. Currently, I actively apply my technical and organizational strengths to create inclusive, safe, and welcoming environments for my peers, ensuring we can collaborate productively and sustainably support one another as we build our potential. Concurrently, I am expanding my interdisciplinary knowledge to elevate my independent software development initiatives. Specifically, I am designing an interactive therapeutic application engineered to translate abstract cognitive frameworks and deeply personal, symbolic narratives into an immersive digital environment where individuals can securely map, visualize, and explore their own psyches in an engaging, reflective, and confidential manner. Engineering a project of this scale and sensitivity demands an advanced, integrated mastery of Cybersecurity, Software Development, and Research Psychology. By pursuing this specific academic pathway at UAH, I will be uniquely equipped to make my vision a reality. Ultimately, I hope this may enable the next generation to be better equipped to be self-aware, empathetic, and accepting, with individuals more able to safely process their psyches, express their truths, and enable the future to shine brighter as they embrace themselves and others!
What are you most looking forward to about college?
With entering UAH in Fall 2026, I find myself filled with a combination of anxiety and excitement, but above all, a fierce anticipation for the personal and academic growth that awaits me. What I look forward to most in my college experience is becoming deeply engaged with and actively supporting my communities. I look forward to becoming a contributing scholar who helps others succeed by ensuring they have organized access to resources and a supportive environment; I look forward to entering a network of driven peers and mentors who hold a genuine willingness to learn, understand, and inspire mutual improvement; I look forward to navigating the intersections of Computer Science and Psychology; I look forward to so much!
Having spent my high school years independently designing technical frameworks and analyzing my own psyche, I am eager to utilize UAH’s academic resources to refine my project management skills and scale my software initiatives, participating in undergraduate research, developing secure environments for personal exploration, and discovering new ways to apply my passions to human-centric applications. Whether I am managing digital communities, leading collaborative group projects, or supporting others through their mental health struggles, I look forward to bringing a style of empathetic scholarship to campus. I cannot wait to discover how my own unique story and passions will weave into the broader tapestry of UAH, allowing me to continuously improve myself while empowering my community!
Share a fun fact about yourself:
A fun fact about my creative process is that, uniquely, it often causes me to live through the personalities of my characters, an immersive style of narrative empathy brought to my own essence. When developing a character, my mind actively absorbs inspiration from my environment, and I can choose to enter a mental state where their perspective becomes my own so I can understand their core motivations, vulnerabilities, and story by being them. While this deep immersion is a powerful tool for authentic storytelling, it also blurs my ability to distinguish my own identity outside of a narrative, requiring me to remain self-aware in my daily life to know who I am. It also directly shapes how my mind engages with media.
When my mind finds an idea it resonates with, as most commonly occurs when listening to music from indie artists like YonKaGor (who beautifully pairs upbeat melodies with symbolic narratives about mental health), it naturally develops themes of allegorical poetry I synthesize into inspirational psychological insights. I love conjoining this synthesis with character development, crafting abstract stories where distinct personality characteristics can conflict and reach their realistic conclusions. In designing allegorical stories like these, I find myself captivated by non-human designs which physically reflect internal emotional states, personality traits, and internal debates, enabling character design to be a type of visual storytelling. I adore stories with hidden psychological depth, where a welcoming, engaging surface hides an allegorical analysis underneath, rewarding the audience for looking closer and analyzing its messages. For me, stories are not just entertainment, but visions into possibility, stepping stones for decoding cognitive frameworks, and reflections of personality we can use to cultivate true self-acceptance.
Dagmar Beckel — University of Wisconsin-Madison — Business & Computer Science
Alma Mater: Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High School, Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Area School District, Wisconsin
Why do you want to pursue these majors?
I’m double majoring in Computer Science and Business because I truly enjoy the coding side of Computer Science, especially when making applications people can interact with, and I plan to make this my career. I intend to work in the Computer Science Industry as a Computer Programmer with a speciality in Mobile App Development and/or Web Development. My ultimate goal is to be a freelance Computer Programmer, so I can choose to work on projects that align with my values and interests. My Business degree will help me with understanding how to accomplish my ideal goal. With my intended career path, I hope to build projects that connect people with information, opportunities, and one another. Specifically, there’s a project I created with the CW App Team for the Congressional App Challenge. It was a volunteer-focused website that won the challenge, but we were unable to add every feature we wanted to, such as tracking volunteer hours and past experiences. I would like to eventually turn the idea into a fully functioning mobile or website application, and continue creating more projects that bring people together and build relationships and communities.
What are you most looking forward to about college?
I’m most looking forward to the independence and feeling of doing things on my own and building relationships that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Share a fun fact about yourself:
I’m the fourth Dagmar in my family. My great-grandma, grandma, mom, and me all have the same name.
Congratulations to our 2026 CodeHS Scholars!