"I am excited to teach the joy of coding course to first-time coders because I love programming and believe it should be accessible to everyone. Further, as someone who started coding in high school, I think it is very worthwhile to get an early start!"

"I’m excited about teaching students through this program because I have been on the other side of the table. As a first time coder, I struggled to find the motivation and right resources to code. I tried learning new coding languages online but found that they were fast paced or very detailed which was frightening for me. Today, coding is what brings me great joy in my study here at UMich. I’m excited to share this joy with others - especially those who may feel that coding is not for them, just like I used to. I look forward to hearing their fresh perspectives and growing with them!"

"Going back to when I first started coding, I had lots of trouble initially and I was not able to get the help I needed, so I had to spend hours of time struggling by myself. The hopelessness I felt turned me off to coding until I was able to overcome my issues with the help of more experienced coders until I became much better at coding and adjusted to the learning curve. I want to provide and sustain this interest for first-time coders as I know from experience how much personalized attention benefited me and my passion to code, the same for which I strive to give to these students."

"Learning to code for the first time can be a daunting process. That’s why I’m eager to teach and assist first-time coders; I want to be that support that students need so that learning to code is a process purely of discovery and excitement!"

"What excites me the most about teaching the course is the opportunity to inspire young students to pursue work that empowers others. By teaching this course, students can begin to understand how coding is used in such impactful projects and begin to form ideas of how they can use their newfound skill to contribute to projects that they believe in and feel passionate about."

"The opportunity of sharing the powerful world of programming to first time coders excites me. The Joy of Coding is a great opportunity for high school students to improve their coding skills, especially if they are pursuing a career in engineering. Even if not, the programming mentality learned through the course will also benefit non-STEM majors. I also enjoy seeing all the different ways people think things through."

"In my first coding course, I had an amazing teacher that really got me interested and excited about coding. I am excited to give the students a positive first exposure to coding like my teacher did for me."

"I’m excited to help first-time coders turn into lifetime coders, and to show them all of the cool opportunities that learning to code can provide."

"Knowing that I could help someone else have the same sense of pride, joy, and accomplishment I felt during my first time coding a program, excites me about teaching the joy of coding course to first-time coders."

"Learning to code for the first time is often a polarizing experience. I believe that reaching out to students and fostering a warm, supportive environment as they embark on their coding journeys is vital to make it a positive one. I'm incredibly excited to be a part of that process and share my passion for computer science with first-time coders."

"What excites me about teaching first-time coders are the vast opportunties and possibilities that the world of coding has to offer. Introducing students to coding can have a great impact on their future and it is truly exciting to witness students experience the capabilities coding has."

"I would never forget my first encounter with programming. Grade 11, Computer Science Project, we had to create an interactive Battleship game on C++. My friends and I spent hours adding, deleting and debugging the code, after which it finally worked. I was overcome by this spectacular sense of victory, I was so happy. Even today, every single time my code works, it makes me smile in success. It would be an exciting opportunity to help other young adults experience this same joy that I experienced, and discover a love for coding as I have."

"I remember when I first started coding, I was using code.org and I had created a small game similar to super smash bros. It was nothing compared to the real game, however, I remember feeling extremely accomplished and excited for where coding could lead me. Teaching the Joy of Coding course excites me because I get to help out the next generation of coders. I have always loved learning new things, and I think that being in a learning environment fits me best. I know from experience that coding can be very hard and confusing at first, so my goal will be to create an inclusive environment where students won't be afraid to ask any questions. I believe that coding is an art form that should be shared, and through teaching the Joy of Coding course, I will be able to introduce and assist many students on their goal of learning to code."

"I’m excited to welcome these students to a brand new world of possibilities. It was truly fascinating for me to realize how coding can be used in so many different areas and is incredibly applicable in solving problems in various fields, no matter how big or small the problem is."

"I am incredibly excited to be able to show first-time coders how creative and fun coding can be, and that it is not as intimidating or complicated as they might think! Even with only a few basic skills, first-time coders can create some interesting and unique programs and be inspired by the things they can create. I hope to foster the feeling of being able to channel your creativity that first drew me into coding as well."

"I find so much joy in watching the lightbulb switch on for the little things and helping first-time coders make connections to their lives with respect to programming. Whether it's an algorithm being a set of steps to make a sandwich or a conditional that's checking to see if their phone is charged, sharing that moment with them brings so much fulfillment!"