Alice B.'s Portfolio
I'm Alice, a 13-year-old 8th grader at Open Window School and an intern at AI Camp. Following is a little more about me.
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Passionate about technology, I am a creative thinker who enjoys pushing the envelope to expand the boundaries of what is possible. I've always been fascinated about how technology dramatically improved people’s lives. I still remember the day when I went to the Microsoft campus that my parents worked at when I was about six years old. I was very impressed by how my parents’ jobs helped to change the world. After seeing the impact that software can make on the world and how it made people's lives so much easier, I really grew interested in it. I started to learn coding and try to create useful apps, fun games and animations. It is a lot of fun! Now, coding is one of my favorite activities, and I often work with Python and C++ using platforms like VSCode, Pycharm, and GameMaker. I've applied my coding skills to various projects, both in and outside of school.
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However I found that there were not too many other girls who shared the same interests as mine. After I read about how large the gender gap in STEM jobs are (women making up only 28% of workers!!) I started my journey in trying to close this gap. At my school, I run a Girls Who Code club to share my knowledge and promote STEM, particularly among girls. My school was very supportive about my club and promoted my club on their social media page. My club turned out to be very successful. Even some teachers brought their own kids to come to learn! After my club ended, many girls were very excited about what they learned and decided to continue to learn about tech. It is extremely rewarding to me to be able to inspire girls in my community and show the world that girls can!
After the release of ChatGPT and many AI generators, I became captivated with the world of AI and its ability to solve problems. So this summer I ventured into the world of AI. I've created multiple AI applications and am part of an ongoing AI internship. This year, my focus is on continuing to pursue my passion for AI and contributing to closing the gender gap in STEM. Whether it's developing applications, creating animations, or designing games, I love using my intuition and ideas to bring new things to life. My goal is to share my knowledge with the community around me and make the world a better place.
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With my friends at school we formed a Robotics team OWS245 and competed in the First Lego League. Building an autonomous robot that solves as many missions as possible in 2 minutes and a half is very challenging as there are so many parameters to take in account: field imperfections, changing light conditions, small mechanical variations from one run to another, and much more. I have enjoyed collaborating in a team. With the help of our coaches and mentors, our robotics team has achieved a lot. We won the FLL Washington Performance Award twice!
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Besides computer science, drawing has been a part of my life since I was four. In the more recent years, I have been into digital arts and creating animations.
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The digital art medium allows me to seamlessly integrate my drawings into my projects. I've used my artistic skills to support various causes, such as creating a set of stamps with COVID guidelines to raise funds for local hospitals and contributing to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts through a fundraising drawing. It's fulfilling to know that I can make a difference using my creative expertise.
At a birthday party with my friends, we watched Spirited Away together. I was inspired by the film and became very interested in creating animations. I went to animation classes where I really refined my skill. Ever since, I have been continuously creating animations. In fact, animations I made have received multiple awards in animation film festivals and competitions, including the Golden Pencil Award, semi-Finalist in GCIFF Youth Film Day, showcase animation in the SE Teen Filmmakers animation festival, and the Kinofestival “Light of the World'' animation festival honorable mention.
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In my free time, if I’m not working on an AI or Robotics project or an animation, you'll find me immersed in a good book, particularly biographies of successful women in STEM like Ada Lovelace and Reshma Saujani. These inspiring stories reinforce my belief that girls can excel in any field. From the bios they also show strong desires to help people and the communities with their skill sets. I’d like to be the same, whether it's through Girls Who Code club activities, AI and Robotics projects that address real-world challenges, or using my artistic abilities to contribute to fundraisers, I find joy in making a positive impact.