A Little Tech Talk

The speed of change in the world of technology can be dizzying and fascinating all at once. One could easily drown in tech jargon or the sea of acronyms that require a doctorate to understand (at least it feels that way). From programming languages to AI, the options are endless.

I do not consider myself to be technically inclined by any stretch, however over the past year I found myself increasingly interested in this mysterious field. Like many young girls today, I once convinced myself that computer science and technology wasn’t for me because I never saw other girls partaking. Growing up, I quickly got the message that robotics, gaming and anything related to a computer was reserved for boys so I lost interest and no one bothered to tell me otherwise.

Fast forward to a year ago when I found myself surrounded by a network of brilliant techies, including my sons, and my interest was peaked once again! With their help, I began teaching myself to program in Python! A few short months later, with only the experience of a novice, I volunteered to help teach kids across the country how to code. Indeed it was trial by error but also an exciting way to learn and give back to our youth.

After realizing my coding adventures weren’t as scary as I once thought, I became intrigued by the growing buzz around cyber security. I am quickly learning that this domain is super vast and it will take me quite some time to find a niche that suits me even if it morphs into nothing more than a hobby. And that’s okay!

Middle school and high school girls are becoming more comfortable exploring technology as a field of study and ultimately as a career. Their diverse perspectives, problem-solving abilities and leadership skills are sorely needed as a balancing force. There is no shortage of STEM programs and nonprofit organizations, like BlackGirlsHack and BlackGirlsCode, that aim to introduce girls and women to various disciplines in tech. iThriveHer is jumping on the bandwagon to collaborate with technology partners to develop a cyber security program for our ThriveHers. We are excited about the prospect of providing girls the platform to leverage their intelligence, creativity and innovative spirit to bring balance and diversity to the field of technology. Stay tuned for what’s next!

Thriving in Excellence,

Natalie Clark Maggitt, Founder, CEO – iThriveHer