technology as cool. But my goal is not necessarily to make them great technologists, but to teach them critical thinking skills and how to go after opportunities.”
Conley and Hoos are both pleased with how enthusiastic the students have been during the initial pilot program, and both hope to replicate it next year.
Marvez Bryant, a 16-year-old Hacker Society student, says the class was his first experience learning how to write code, but he was potentially interested in a computer science career if his first-choice career didn’t work out. “Maybe I’d do this if I didn’t get a full-ride scholarship to college,” he says. “I want to build a research lab from the ground up.”
LaDarian Hobson, a 15-year-old in the class, says he’s definitely interested in being a tech entrepreneur, and he liked the fact that the class started off as a challenge: “It’s difficult at first, but if you work hard, you make progress and your hard work pays off.”
