For many, identifying their life’s true passions is a journey that can span years, and some may never stumble upon the calling that deeply resonates with them. However, for a student at CodeWizardsHQ named Jonah, clarity came early. At the age of six, he found his calling in coding. Jonah’s remarkable zeal and commitment to pushing the boundaries with his coding projects have distinguished him as a nominee for the Spotlight Award.
Jonah’s Coding Journey
Jonah remembers the first time he thought about learning to code.
“When I was in the first grade. I just remember really wanting to code like Dad and that kind of gave me interest. “
Coding has become a bit of a tradition in Jonah’s family. Jonah’s dad works in IT and it was while observing his dad code a game that Jonah realized that this could be something that he would like to pursue as well. Jonah remembers writing about his future for a class assignment and saying that he wanted to learn to code. Jonah found his future at CodeWizardsHQ.
Jonah’s parents started searching for a coding program for their son and narrowed it down to a handful of options. They chose CodeWizardsHQ based on positive comments and reviews. As they investigated the program, Jonah’s dad liked what he saw.
“We also looked at the curriculum and the path Jonah would take and I liked it. I have a background in programming and I thought it was planned out nicely.”
Standout Student
Jonah has been a standout student and regularly shares his projects with his tech dad.
“He shows me his work all the time, and I’m actually blown away by how quickly he’s able to pick things up and apply new concepts that he’s learned.”
Now in his sixth class at CodeWizards, the twelve-year-old is interested in a career as a developer. He has enjoyed learning Python and specifically how to make labor-saving functions.
“I really enjoyed learning how to make my own functions, because that just helped a ton. The Crafting Menu Game had so many lines of code, and once I learned how to make functions, in literally the next lesson, I applied it to the Crafting Menu, and I saved 300 lines.”
Jonah is currently in Modular Programming with Python, the last class before the Wizard Level 2 Capstone. He mentions his favorite recent project.
“The most recent project we’ve done is this Monster Battle Simulator. It’s just plain Python and I liked that in that game you get to choose from three options. You either throw a fireball, drink a regeneration potion, or quit the game.”
Jonah has taken this project to the next level and even after completion continues to add features. He has also collaborated with other students on the CodeWizardsHQ Forum to search for ideas. Jonah has become a noted Forum contributor. The Forum is a safe instructor-monitored online community run by students where they can help each other with coding support. It encourages learning, leadership, collaboration, and communication.
Jonah is excited to continue his coding education and looks forward to learning the skills that will help him make his own games.
Hobbies and Activities
Outside of coding and school, Jonah stays busy with activities. He participates in a program called Trail Life, a faith-based scouting program that encourages adventure, character development, and leadership for youth. Jonah enjoys camping, orienteering, and earning badges in areas like rope tying and cooking. Jonah also finds himself constantly sketching and dabbles in origami. He likes sports too and has participated in martial arts and is looking forward to playing baseball soon.
CodeWizardsHQ is fortunate to have Jonah as part of our coding family and we look forward to seeing him continue his impressive accomplishments. His instructor, Ife, echoes these sentiments.
I was impressed with Jonah from the very start. He possesses a trifecta of enthusiasm for coding, great problem-solving skills, and eagerness to help others. These traits alone will carry him far, not just at CodeWizards, but in life. I look forward to continuing to see his growth.
Ife Blount, CodeWizardsHQ Instructor
