Idaly Lopez Email & Phone Number

I'm Idaly Lopez, a Computer Science sophomore at Georgia State University, Perimeter College, and currently interning at CodePath Web101 where I'm creating a website regarding how the 2020 pandemic has affected elementary school students academically. My goal is to become a software engineer at Microsoft. This role involves designing and developing various projects like games, applications, operating systems, and more. Upon completing college, my plan is to join Microsoft's team and launch a program for Latinx females in STEM, with a particular focus on coding. This program aims to provide resources and free coding lessons to empower aspiring girls like me. Programming is widely recognized as a challenging profession, often resulting in imposter syndrome however I've always enjoyed problem-solving and puzzles, and I found similar challenges in computer programming. I joined Girls Who Code in middle school, where I experimented with Scratch, a coding platform developed by MIT, renowned for its outstanding academic programs in the sciences and its global reputation in technology and engineering research. I have a fond memory from when we went on a field trip to Georgia Tech, where I learned to code in HTML and built my own website. Even though it was basic and beginner-level, filled me with pride. I was delighted to have my own little corner on the web, and I could customize it to my liking. Upon entering high school, I was disappointed by the lack of active members at my new school. Unlike my middle school experience, I often found myself alone in meetings. Nevertheless, my commitment didn't go unnoticed. Our club's president, Ms. Hesse, became my mentor and provided guidance for choosing a college that would be a suitable fit for majoring in computer science. Having personally witnessed the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields, I found the inspiration to pursue a career as a software engineer and establish an organization dedicated to empowering young women, like myself, who have felt alone in such spaces. In the next few years as a Georgia State student, I plan to join diverse internships and organizations to enhance my knowledge, develop my skills, expand my network, and identify ways to establish a thriving and impactful organization for Latinx females. I hope to provide guidance, resources, and potentially scholarships and grants to those who are like me. Being a programmer is a challenge, but I believe in embracing challenges as opportunities for growth.