Many people take years to discover their life’s passions. Some never find the unique pastimes that truly interest them. For CodeWizardsHQ student Neel, everything fell into place at the magic age of five when he was introduced to chess, soccer, and of course, coding. His enthusiasm and dedication to going above and beyond to create exceptional coding projects have earned him a Spotlight nomination.
Neel’s Coding Journey
Neel remembers the first time that he thought about coding. He was in kindergarten and was introduced to a program called Ozobots. Ozobots are small, programmable robots used to teach younger kids the basics of coding.
Neel’s mom, an engineer, saw her son’s affinity for coding and wanted to expand his knowledge. She researched coding education opportunities and saw CodeWizardsHQ’s online recommendations and flexible class schedules. She has been pleased with the program. She cites positive experiences with the curriculum structure and responsiveness to any questions.
“I know exactly what is going to be taught. I can just read through the content on the website and the guidance for the class and know exactly what he’ll be learning. Every once in a while, if I have a question, I get prompt responses. I like the way the courses are structured, and they’re broken down into incremental concepts in every class. So, it feels like he’s learning constantly. The most important thing about CodeWizards is that after every class, Neil is so happy.”
Ten-year-old Neel is now in his third class at CodeWizardsHQ, Programming Fundamentals with Python. He says that he enjoys programming because he likes to solve puzzles. He wants to become a better programmer because it will help him be successful in Lego League competitions. He mentions three different challenges that use coding in the competitions.
“There are three different main goals in it. One is to make a robot coded from a coding language. It can use only Lego pieces. Then there’s a hub with computers. You input code into the computer, and it’s connected to motors and sensors. Then there’s the other part, which is the Innovation Project. Every year, there’s a different question, and you use something in technology to do it.”
Favorite Coding Projects
Neel likes Python, and some of his favorite projects have been from his current Python coding class. He mentions the Calculator Project and the Pet Adoption Center Project. The Calculator Project lets students learn more about conditional statements by incorporating them into a magic calculator. This has a practical use too. Neel uses it frequently in his math homework!
“Now, when I have a math problem, I just go into CodeWizards, and then I press display. It just helps you out.”
The Pet Adoption Center Project teaches students how to store and obtain data inside lists. Students create a pet adoption center where customers choose from available pets.
Neel looks forward to gaining the skills that will help him make his own games. He is specifically interested in making an AI chess game. He wants to further his coding skills for robotics competitions in middle and high school.
Neel enjoys teaching his younger sister about the basics of coding. His advice to kids interested in learning to code centers around perseverance. He suggests that if you come across a problem or a bug that is hard to solve, take a break and then come back and keep trying to solve it.
School and Hobbies
Outside of coding, Neel’s favorite school subjects are social studies, science, geography, and math. He likes history and specifically likes learning about World War II. His favorite reads are history books, the Wings of Fire series, and books about chess.
Neel plays soccer and piano, but the all-consuming interest in his life is chess. In fact, he aspires to be a grandmaster someday. Neel began playing chess at the age of five during an afterschool program. He started playing against opponents and on an app called ChessKid, all while honing his skills. Neel admits that he spends an hour or more each day playing chess, and his dedication shows. He has earned sixteen trophies playing in league tournaments.
Both chess and coding require strategic thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to focus, skills where Neel clearly excels. Neel’s instructor, Christopher agrees.
Every week Neel surprises me with a new program that he wrote himself. He is a student driven by a love of learning and coding.
Christopher Omundson, CodeWizardsHQ Instructor
CodeWizardsHQ is fortunate to have students like Neel as part of our coding family, and we are happy to shine a light on his dedication to coding and to going the extra mile to create impressive projects.
