This month, we are excited to spotlight Riya, a standout CodeWizardsHQ student with an impressive record. A ninth-grader, she has been with CodeWizardsHQ since 2021 and is currently in her twelfth class. “I haven’t been keeping track,” Riya admitted, but her dedication speaks for itself. Over the years, she has tackled everything from front-end design to database management, building creative, functional projects along the way. With each class, she has continued to grow, proving just how far passion and persistence can take you.
Riya Discovers Coding
Riya’s journey into coding didn’t begin with immediate enthusiasm. “Honestly, at first, I didn’t like coding that much. I thought that the first class I ever took was really difficult.”
Her first experience with coding came before CodeWizardsHQ when she took a few small, one-time classes. It wasn’t until later that she found a program that truly sparked her interest and made coding feel more approachable and engaging.
Finding CodeWizardsHQ: A Perfect Fit
Riya’s mom discovered CodeWizardsHQ while searching for online learning opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was looking online. We were not able to physically go anywhere. I was also looking through the reviews. This particular program had good reviews online, and we decided to join.”
From the very first session, Riya’s mom knew it was a good fit. “I think it clicked in the first session. We thought that this was a good fit for us and Riya, and it has worked well since then.”
She also emphasized the importance of coding as a necessary skill in today’s world. “I think now coding is essential, no matter what kind of career you choose. It’s important to have that basic understanding.” Riya’s mom noted that as a doctor, she has seen information technology penetrating the medical field. “The newer generation of medical graduates also needs more of this knowledge.”
At first, coding was a challenge, but joining CodeWizardsHQ changed everything. “When I started with CodeWizards, it became really accessible. My teachers helped me break it down and understand it. All the projects are fun.”
She quickly found that coding wasn’t just about learning a new language, it was about creating something exciting. “It’s not only fun to learn about coding, but it’s also fun to make the project and see when you’re done with it, you can play around with it. It’s cool.”
Favorite Classes, Projects, and Languages
With twelve classes behind her, Riya has explored a variety of coding concepts, but some projects stand out as favorites. She especially enjoyed a recent course that focused on building structured, interactive web pages. “The framework one was probably one of my favorites,” she said. She found working with dynamic elements particularly engaging, especially when creating forms and interactive features that respond to user actions. One project she recalled involved designing pop-ups. “That was really fun,” she said, highlighting how much she enjoys coding projects that bring web pages to life.
Another favorite was a music player project, which Riya enjoyed customizing to make it her own. “I added my own colors and songs and information. I had different genres. I had classical, so I had Bach and Mozart. I also put in rock ones, so I had Led Zeppelin and Eagles.” At CodeWizardsHQ, students are encouraged to personalize their projects, allowing them to bring their own creativity and interests into their work. This approach not only makes learning more engaging but also helps students take ownership of their coding skills as they see their ideas come to life.
When it comes to programming languages, she enjoys the creativity that comes with web development. “I like working with web pages. I especially enjoy designing them from the CSS aspect. I can be creative.”
She also learned an important skill beyond coding itself: keeping things organized. “I really learned how to keep my code organized so that I could understand it and someone else could understand it. So that was really important for me to learn.”
Future Plans and Career Goals
Looking ahead, Riya has big plans for how she wants to use her skills. “I’m looking forward to making video games. I made a zombie video game and I would like to do more of that later.”
Beyond game development, she is fascinated by space and dreams of working in the field of astronomy. “I’ve been wanting to do something space-related for a while. That was one of the things that made me stick with coding. I’ve been really interested in astronomy or being an astronaut.” For now, she is excited to keep building her skills.
Riya’s Interests Outside of Coding
Outside of coding, Riya has a wide range of interests that keep her busy and creative. In school, she enjoys history, especially American and European history, because she finds it fascinating to see “how things that happened back then led to what’s going on now.”
Her hobbies include drawing, dancing, and music, all of which allow her to express herself in different ways. She takes jazz dance classes at a local school and loves the energy and movement it brings. Music is also a big part of her life, and she enjoys everything from pop to Broadway. “I love listening to Spotify. It’s one of my favorite things,” she said, naming Taylor Swift and musicals like Hamilton and Wicked among her favorites. On top of all that, she stays active by playing tennis. “Playing for fun, just to learn it, you know,” she said, showing her love for trying new things and staying active.
A Bright Future Ahead
Riya’s passion for coding, creativity, and curiosity set her apart. From tackling advanced coding concepts to exploring her many hobbies, she embodies the spirit of a lifelong learner. Whether she is designing websites, building games, or dreaming about the stars, one thing is clear; her future is full of possibilities. It seems her instructor Josh agrees.
Riya is a teacher’s dream student. She stays fully engaged in lessons, consistently completes her homework, and rarely encounters difficulties. Beyond her academic strengths, Riya is outgoing and socially adept. Her positive attitude is contagious, often uplifting the entire class and fostering a supportive, encouraging learning environment.
Josh Ennis, CodeWizardsHQ Instructor
