When Max first discovered coding, he was only six years old. A friend showed him a coding website, and his imagination lit up. “One of my friends found a website called Scratch, and then they said, ‘Wow, you can make your own games here. It’s really cool.’ Then I wanted to know Scratch.”
That moment sparked something big. Today, Max is 11 years old, taking high school-level coding classes, and closing in on completing one of CodeWizardsHQ’s most advanced courses. He’s been coding for more than five years and loves every minute of it.
A Family Discovery
Max’s mom discovered CodeWizardsHQ while looking for a coding class for his older sister. “I was looking for a coding class, and I found CodeWizards, and then I signed my daughter up,” she said.
Later, Max became interested in coding himself. “I heard my sister was learning to code, and I thought that I’d like to code too.” That simple request kicked off what would become a long and meaningful journey. “Max loved it, and then he just kept going.” His mom saw it as a positive and productive outlet, something that would keep him engaged in learning and creativity.
From Games to Web Design
Max’s first big draw to coding was the idea of making games, but as he advanced through the program, his interests broadened. “Originally, I wanted to make games that I could play, but as I went further into the courses, web design also caught my eye.”
Now, one of his favorite coding tools is Bootstrap. “I’ve had the most fun with Bootstrap, probably because it’s mainly the visual aspect of the website. I’m also interested in art, and I draw a lot as a hobby. So finding out about this easy way to style your project that’s really customizable, I found that cool.”
Bootstrap is a popular front-end framework that helps developers build responsive, visually appealing websites more easily. It provides ready-to-use components, such as buttons, forms, and navigation bars, along with a grid system for layout. With Bootstrap, students like Max can quickly style their projects and customize the look of their websites without starting from scratch.
Max especially enjoys how CodeWizardsHQ classes encourage students to personalize their projects. “Something I always do is change the font and change the button properties. I like to change a lot of things, visual things about projects.”
A Standout Student
Max’s dedication and passion for coding show in the progress he’s made over the past five years at CodeWizardsHQ. He’s currently enrolled in Modern CSS Framework and has earned exceptional scores throughout all of his classes.
His favorite projects? That’s a long list, but Max was ready.
“One was in one of the middle school courses… We made a calculator. That was the first time I realized that you could do other stuff with coding that wasn’t making games.”
Another standout was a Bootstrap-based project. “We recently made this furniture site, where we learned about the carousel in Bootstrap.” In this project, students built the front page of a furniture e-commerce site. They used Bootstrap to add a carousel showcasing featured products and learned how to align elements for a clean, professional layout.
But his most memorable project came early on. “We made an arrow shooter game… I barely remember it, but I remember, after the course, I would just keep going back to look at the final project, because I was so proud of it… I made this fully functioning game that was actually really fun to play.”
Beyond the Screen
Max’s interests go far beyond coding. He’s active in his school’s VEX robotics team and serves as the programmer and a driver. “Last season was my first season in robotics. We made it to States last year.” Now in his second season, he’s helping lead the bot design and programming again.
He also plays percussion in his school band and enjoys reading mystery and fantasy novels. One recent favorite? “This mystery novel that I read for school, Greenglass House.”
And then there’s birding, a quieter hobby, but one that taps into the same careful observation and curiosity that make Max a strong coder. “I like birding… I can identify stuff.” Whether he’s tracking birds in nature or troubleshooting lines of code, Max approaches each challenge with focus and enthusiasm.
A Creative Mind and a Clear Goal
With interests in robotics, design, and coding, Max is carving out a distinctive niche for himself in the tech world. He plans to keep learning and growing his skills. “Eventually, long-term, I would like to have some sort of career in software development and/or web design… I would also like to go to college and maybe major in software design.”
Ready for What’s Next
With five years of coding already under his belt, Max is a student who truly stands out. At just 11 years old, he’s not only building advanced websites and crafting games but also programming and driving competition-ready robots. His ability to think critically, collaborate with teammates, and apply what he’s learned in real-world settings shows just how far his skills have come.
Whether he’s coding, sketching, or exploring the outdoors, Max brings creativity, focus, and curiosity to everything he does. At CodeWizardsHQ, we’re proud to be part of his journey and can’t wait to see what he’ll achieve next. His instructor, Ife, has seen that same spark firsthand and shared this about Max:
It goes without saying that Max is very bright, given that he’s mastered so much of our curriculum at such an early age. Yet, besides that, I’m impressed with the enthusiasm, humor, and inquisitiveness he brings to every class. It has been a joy to have him as a student, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.
Ife Blount, CodeWizardsHQ Instructor
