The Coding Whiz
Zakiya Sims ý18 is a computer science major on the NYC Campus and vice president of the Pace Computing Society (PCS), which has seen an increase in membership by a whopping 50 percent since she took the helm. This was a personal goal of hers that began all the way back in her first year. At the time, Sims spearheaded efforts to to the clubýs weekly meetings. Representatives from BuzzFeed, WeWork, General Assembly, UNICEF, IBM, and many others responded, beginning a storied academic career for Sims that would continue throughout her time at Pace.
ýI did a lot of promoting [for PCS],ý Sims explained to us. ýI created flyers and posted them around the school. Starting out, we went to all of the orientations with a huge display board, put a bunch of questions on there, and gave out swagýt-shirts and stickers. People love free stuff. It also helped that we told them thereýs free pizza. Thatýs how we really got out name out there and promoted the club.ý
Since then, sheýs interned for Bank of America and Harris Corporation, worked with Black Girls Code, and volunteered extensively for Tech Kids Unlimited. But at first? ýWhen I was little, I wanted to be a writer,ý Sims explained. ýI really liked writing and coming up with stories. It was in high school that I got into technology and codingýI had a Myspace account, and I liked altering the backgrounds, and all that customization was done in HTML and CSS. I thought that was really cool and tangibleýaltering different stuff in a webpage and seeing it change in front of your eyes.ý
Last year, Sims interned for Bank of America as a technology intern, and this year, sheýs interned at Harris Corporationýtwo very different companies. ýThe financial industry is really fast-paced and itýs stricter when it comes to guidelines and whatýs expected of you,ý Sims told us. ýWorking at the defense company was more laid-back, but still really cool because I was working on products that the Armed Forces are actually using.ý
All of that began with a trip to ý Services. ýI went to them and sought out help on how to make my resume better and how to write a good essay,ý Sims said. Not long after, she landed her second internship by attending one of the many career fairs offered on both campuses. ýI met an organization there called INROADS. They pretty much help students get jobs in any field they want, and they guide you through the whole process. I followed up and eventually got matched with Harris, interviewed with them, and thatýs how I got the job.ý
For such a large company like Harris, which has multiple locations around the country, one might assume it would be easy to get lost in the shuffle. Not so for Sims! Recently, she was given an opportunity to pitch an original idea directly to her supervisor. ýHe allowed me to create my own independent projectýsomething that he wanted to implement at the company. That was a great experience; it made me feel valued, that they actually take your ideas and listen to you and care about what you think.ý
Sims also volunteers her time with Black Girls Code, a nonprofit organization working to provide education in the STEM fields to young black girls all over the US. ýI helped the girls when they needed help with any lines of code and gave them motivation when they thought they couldnýt do it,ý Sims explained, having participated in the nonprofitýs hackathons before becoming a mentor. ýIt was definitely really funýseeing the girls learn code and come up with their website all from starch. Itýs really impressive.ý
As a mentor and a tech wiz herself, Sims had a few words of wisdom for any would-be coders out there: ýI would say definitely explore the different options out there and be open. Grasp everything with an open mind, and if youýre into something, donýt be afraid to try it. Donýt think that this is way too hard for youýjust go out there, explore opportunities, and do it. Thatýs really the main thing: thinking about something you want to do and just doing it.ý
What motivates someone like Sims? ýI would say knowing that Iým going to be making an impact on someone. Knowing that Iýll be making a positive impact and really contributing to something thatýs bigger than me is what motivates me.ý Wise words!
She recently accepted a job at the Walt Disney Company as a software engineer, and we couldnýt be happier to hear the news.