We’re excited to feature ninth-grader Simon, in this month’s Student Spotlight! Simon’s passion for technology and coding has grown significantly since joining CodeWizardsHQ. His curiosity, hard work, and creativity make him an inspiring example of what’s possible with dedication and the right tools. These qualities, along with his drive to continuously learn and innovate, have earned him a well-deserved place in the spotlight.
Simon’s Coding Journey: How It All Started
Simon’s journey into the world of coding started at an early age with a natural curiosity about technology and automation. He remembers being fascinated by the idea of creating things on his own, even as a young child. “When I was little, I’d always create little automations on my phone or in Scratch,” Simon recalled. “I would constantly be playing around with block coding.” His early explorations weren’t limited to just visual programming tools like Scratch. He also dabbled in Notion formulas and other simple languages, eager to understand how things worked behind the scenes.
At the time, Simon didn’t fully connect these early experiments with the broader world of text-based programming, but they laid the foundation for what would become a deeper passion. His interest truly took off when he discovered Python. “Once I found Python, that started the spark,” Simon said. Python’s simplicity and versatility opened up new possibilities for Simon, giving him a clear path to dive deeper into coding and explore its real-world applications. From then on, Simon’s interest in coding grew, setting him on the path to further his skills with CodeWizardsHQ, where his passion for problem-solving, creativity, and technology continues to thrive.
Simon’s mom explained how they discovered CodeWizardsHQ: “A friend of ours has a son one year older than Simon, and he’s really into technology. They spoke highly of CodeWizardsHQ, and that’s how we got hooked over the summer,” she said. Simon advanced rapidly, completing three semesters of classes in just one summer. With the help of CodeWizardsHQ’s accelerated summer program, he was able to dive deep into his coursework and make significant progress in a short amount of time.
For Simon, what stands out about CodeWizardsHQ is the depth of resources and the quality of the instruction. “There’s a lot of resources available. You get a lot of one-on-one time with the instructors, and the concepts are explained really well. You get good fundamentals at the same time as learning new things, and the material is really easy to digest. It’s more informative and has more material than other courses I’ve done,” Simon shared.
Favorite Projects: Exploring Creativity in Code
Simon’s enthusiasm for coding really shines when he talks about his favorite projects. One of his highlights was a blackjack game he developed. “I decided to go on my own and research some modules to make the code more dynamic. I wanted to use an actual deck, not just pick a random number, so I learned about sets and stuff like that. It was a lot of fun,” Simon said. His desire to push beyond the scope of class assignments speaks to his passion for learning and creativity.
Another standout project for Simon was creating a chatbot, which sparked his interest in artificial intelligence. “Before that project, I hadn’t really dabbled in AI or learning models. But once I started, it lit a fire for me to learn more,” Simon said. He also added his own unique touch to the project by incorporating animations and even programming paper airplanes to move across the screen.
In one class project that involved building a contact manager, Simon took things a step further by integrating ASCII art. “I took an image from the web and converted it into ASCII art,” he explained.
Future Aspirations: Looking Ahead
Simon’s passion for coding doesn’t stop at the present—he has big plans for the future. “I’m definitely going to try my hardest to work in the software engineering field or the computer science field. I really like problem-solving and puzzle math, so this is what I’m interested in,” Simon shared.
He’s already applying his skills to more advanced topics, including artificial intelligence. “Right now, I’m working on a project where I’m using what I learned in my advanced Python and AI courses to create a weather predictor. I’m going to run the code every day and compare the results with the weatherman’s predictions,” Simon said.
When it comes to school, Simon’s favorite subject is math. “I do quite a lot of math competitions, and I’m trying to optimize my grades to get into Waterloo University,” Simon explained. He also mentioned his father’s background in business, which has sparked an interest in the field for him.
Life Beyond Coding: A Well-Rounded Student
Outside of coding, Simon keeps himself busy with a variety of activities. “If I have a minute open in my day, I’m going to take it. If it’s not coding, it’s writing an article about coding, recording a video, or writing a newsletter,” Simon said. He’s currently working on a project to launch a coding newsletter that will offer daily challenges for beginners, intermediate, and advanced coders.
Simon is also an active athlete, participating in sports like ping-pong and tennis. “I picked up ping-pong recently, and I started winning,” he shared. His school has a ping-pong club, and he enjoys competing and refining his skills. “The skills are transferable from tennis,” Simon added.
During the winter, Simon has a unique activity lined up—he’s preparing to start ski coaching. “I passed my Level One certification this year, so I’ll be coaching this season. It’s something I’m really excited about,” Simon said.
Simon’s Coding Journey: A Path of Growth and Discovery
Simon’s journey with CodeWizardsHQ has been one of growth and discovery. His passion for coding, combined with his drive to explore new areas like artificial intelligence, highlights his dedication to learning and problem-solving. As he continues to build on his skills, Simon remains focused on his future aspirations in software engineering and computer science. His ability to blend creativity and technical expertise makes him a standout student and a source of inspiration for others. The future looks bright for Simon, and his coding journey is just beginning.
Simon’s outstanding performance in class has earned him high praise from his instructor, Anaiti.
Simon leaves me speechless every time. I have never seen a student as motivated and determined as he is. He will tweak or modify even simple projects to have unique fun logic or extra features. He’s always twenty steps ahead of us and will read the documentation in his free time on what we are currently learning and what our next class may entail! He’s always hungry to learn and perfect his algorithms logic in all his projects. He is an absolute programming PRODIGY!
Anaiti Arauz, CodeWizardsHQ Instructor
