Meet a Tutor: Madeleine Barowsky

Meet a Tutor: Madeleine Barowsky

Left: Madeleine Barowsky Right: Light-up educational doll hackathon project

Madeleine Barowsky

Computer Science student at Wellesley College

Tell us a little about yourself…

I’m kind of all over the place with my interests! But officially, I’m a first year computer science and mathematics student at Wellesley College. I love cooking, reading, visiting new places, and getting other people excited about STEM!

When did you first start learning computer science?

I started coding about three years ago with a really informal summer class in Python. I think I was interested because I knew nothing at all about code — it had always seemed like something people were just born knowing — and I wanted to learn! I was lucky enough that my school offered programming classes, so I took those and also just kept playing around with code on my own.

Do you have any favorite programs or projects that you’ve built?

I coded a notepad application in Java that allows multiple people to log in and have accounts and share their notes. I’m proud of that one because it actually looks like a fully finished product (i.e. it has a nice GUI).

Recently, at a hackathon, my team made an educational doll whose limbs light up when you click each corresponding button in an app. It was really fun using Arduino and doing more hardware-type things!

Fun facts about you?

I can juggle!

Favorite ice cream flavor?

This is such a tough question as ice cream is a huge passion of mine. I eat it every day on average, sometimes for multiple meals! I’m gonna have to go with a classic chocolate. But pistachio, cookies ‘n cream, and peanut butter are also great.

Words of advice for the next generation of coders?

For now:

• Enjoy the journey of writing programs. Also enjoy that beautiful moment when your code works. ☺
• You will get faster and understand more the longer you stick with CS.
• If you’re stuck (on CodeHS), try changing some lines, working out an example on paper, and finally, asking a tutor!
• If you’re stuck (outside of CodeHS), try web searching for similar problems or error messages.
• Often the hardest part about asking for help is trying to phrase the question.
• Don’t be afraid to try crazy things to see what they do. You might be surprised by what you learn.

For the future:

• You can use code in so many different jobs — not just software development! Name a career and there is a way to incorporate cutting-edge technology.
• Giving back is important and peer collaboration is a powerful tool. Even if you’re still a beginner, you can help others!
• Continue to learn new things!