Do Something Big!
Meet Rebecca
Rebecca is a former iD Tech Camps student and a current instructor for our programming courses. After obtaining her BA in Computer Science from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, Rebecca is now pursuing her PhD in Computer Science from Brown University. Benefiting from both student and staff interaction at iD Tech Camps, Rebecca discovered her passion for technology. She looks forward to working in the computer technology field and sharing her experiences with the rest of the iD community.
iD: Which location did you instruct at?
Rebecca: I taught at Smith College.
iD: How many years at iD (attending and/or working)?
R: For one year I attended iD Tech Camps as a camper then worked as an instructor for one year as well.
iD: What did you teach & what was your position?
R: I was an instructor and taught Programming!
iD: What is your hometown and state?
R: Westfield, NJ
iD: What are your favorite things about our summer camp?
R: My favorite thing about iD Tech Camps is being in an environment where everyone is passionate about the technology that they are learning. You get cool ideas from your peers and there’s great synergy when you bounce ideas off each other. I also enjoy the challenging and fun atmosphere, camp life and teaching campers new things about technology every day.
iD: How has iD inspired you?
R: As a camper, my instructors encouraged me to pursue computer science. They recognized everyone’s different skill level, saw my zeal for programming then recommended that I learn data structures. When I returned to school after camp, I had a big head start on others because I actually learned data structures at camp! The instructors were very instrumental because they suggested to my parents that I should go into computer science. Since my parents didn’t really know much about computer science, this helped them understand that my programming passion could turn into a career opportunity! They are thrilled that I’m getting my PhD at Brown University in this field.
As an iD Tech Camps instructor, I wanted to give back to my community so I encouraged campers to recognize their talent and pursue computer science. Also, I emphasized to parents that they should nurture their child’s talent.
iD: Is iD Tech Camps a good place to make friends? Why?
R: iD is a great place to make friends. It’s easier to express yourself at camp because you are with other kids who like to talk about technology and computer science. At school, computer kids are usually shy and quiet. However, at iD Tech Camps students feel a sense of belonging because they are with other kids who share their same passion for technology.
iD: What is your favorite tech gadget?
R: My Dell Mini 9 Netbook, which runs Linux.
iD: How has iD helped you improve in other aspects of your life besides technology?
R: iD Tech Camps gave me confidence to talk to people and be more open about my zeal for computer science. As an instructor, I gained skills on how to teach computer science in an easy to understand way. Because of this experience, I am able to help my peers who often come to me for help. It’s much easier now to explain a concept and teach deeper understanding of programming concepts.
iD: What do you do for fun when you aren’t at our computer camp?
R: I like to play video games, go skiing and play the clarinet.
iD: What are your future goals? Will you be attending college? If you are in college, where?
R: I attended Mt. Holyoke, in Massachusetts, where I obtained my BA in Computer Science while minoring in Mathematics. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in Computer Science from Brown University.
iD: How did iD Tech Camps prepare you for school?
R: My time as an iD Tech Camps instructor definitely strengthened my time management skill. Every minute counts ten times more! As you can imagine, this has helped immensely with grad school. Additionally, iD Tech Camps also increased my confidence in dealing with people.
iD: Do you plan to work for iD again in the future?
R: If my busy schedule allows I’d love to teach students programming!
iD: Any tips for incoming campers or staff?
R: For the campers, I recommend trying something before you say you don’t like it. You see so many campers thinking they are too cool for certain things. However, once they try it, they always have a ton a fun! So it makes sense that my staff suggestion is to encourage campers to do new things.
Check out some of the cool courses Rebecca mentioned. Register early and do something big this summer!
