Meet Angelica Sharma | Computer Science Student at The University of Texas at Austin

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angelica Sharma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angelica, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
We’re changing the way kids learn computer science and robotics across Texas and one day, worldwide. Today, over 70% of middle schools in the U.S. don’t have a computer science class, and less than 50% of students take a computer science course. Yet, the demand for computer science knowledge and skills is high – over 90% of jobs require some sort of technical or digital skill. At STEMkidz, we’re hosting classes that emphasize learning by doing, and that introduce tech to kids as early as elementary and middle school so they are prepared to engage with and responsibily use technologies in their future careers, no matter what they pursue.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started STEMkidz during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I noticed that students in my hometown, Katy, were lacking access to quality STEM education. So I started hosting online workshops where I taught students how to code in Scratch and Python. I had over 70 students join these workshops, so I continued to grow. When COVID precautions lifted, I shifted to in-person and started creating curricula and hosting summer camps. It was such a huge success that I couldn’t handle teaching so many students on my own. So in college, with the help of mentors at The University of Texas at Austin, I registered this initiative as an official business, began hiring students like me to lead these camps, and expanded to Austin. Every year brings new challenges – first it was finding places to host these camps, then figuring out how to get the word out. What keeps me going is knowing this work truly impacts students. I believe education is the best way not only to help the next generation succeed but also to ensure our country makes stronger, more informed decisions that benefit everyone. With technology advancing so rapidly, we need to introduce kids to it earlier, and that’s exactly why I built STEMkidz. As someone who had to teach myself much of this, I want to make sure other students don’t have to go it alone.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m currently in Austin, so the first place I would take them is Lady Bird Lake and go kayaking. One thing that makes Austin so beautiful is how well it integrates nature with the city. Then, we would go to FoodHeads, a local Austin restaurant, to eat. I would also take them to Lake Travis and drive on the road behind it – it looks like a national park there and is jaw-dropping.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to first shout out my family, especially my parents, for supporting me throughout my life. They immigrated from India in 2003 to the U.S. and have made endless sacrifices to give me the freedom to define my own future. Their courage and persistence are the foundation of every opportunity I’ve had. I also want to recognize my friends and professors, who have not only challenged me to introspect and think bigger, but have also been my strongest support system throughout college.

Website: https://stemkidusa.com

Instagram: @stemkidzusa

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/angelica-s-sharma