“When I was 8 years old, someone decided it would be worthwhile for my third grade class to learn a little bit of basic technology to program the computers in our school’s science lab. I loved it, but computers weren’t very accessible back then,” said Alzner.
“Fast forward to my senior year of college when I was asked in a job interview ‘Do you think you would enjoy programming?’ Because of that experience, I answered ‘yes,’ with absolute certainty.”
Last week, Alzner filled the role of technology teacher for a few hours at the Gaston County main library on Garrison Boulevard, instructing a handful on young learners on the basics of computer coding.
Alzner taught the Gaston County middle schoolers different skills to help them build and design computers to run various programs and perform different tasks.
“I’ve been learning how to code since the fifth grade,” said one of Alzner’s students, Piedmont Community Charter School sixth-grader Kenya Pond. “I want to keep learning so I can use these skills in the future.”
Alzner started sharing her IT knowledge with Gaston County students in 2019, starting by offering lessons called “Hour of Code” at local elementary schools.
She also offers her “Coding Deciphered” initiative via free programming classes, which shows young people the possibilities of following her career path in technology.
“My goal is to show as many kids as possible how fun computer science and programming can be before kids develop any pre-conceived notions. Something unique that I bring to the table is that I am fully employed in information technology and can share my real-world experiences,” said Alzner.
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