Erica Chemmanoor

Innovative advocate for CS education

Core Values: Community, Equality, Kindness, Ambition, and Innovation

 

 

 

Bio

Erica, a junior at Klein Cain High School, is driven by her love for coding. She's dedicated to empowering young kids, especially girls, to pursue their interest in coding and providing quality and accessible Computer Science education. Through tutoring, teaching, and working as a coding instructor, she aims to inspire the next generation of coders. Erica is also passionate about exploring the potential of artificial intelligence in creating innovative solutions and tools. Her strengths lie in leadership, problem-solving, organization, collaboration, and dedication. Fluent in English and Malayalam, Erica is also a talented musician, playing both the violin and piano. She is her school’s Class of 2025 Vice President and the President of the Computer Science National Honors Society. In her free time, she likes to crochet, figure skate, and bake.



 

Work with Erica
IMPACT PROJECTS  | HIGHLIGHTS

 

Python for KIDS

At my school, many kids, especially girls, drop out of the Computer Science program by freshman or sophomore year. After asking my friends who dropped out and hearing them say that it was “too hard”, I realized that none of them had learned how to code before they reached high school. Understandably, there aren’t many good and accessible resources for kids in my area to learn how to code before they reach high school. This led me to create my free web app that teaches kids how to code in Python.

Coding Instructor

I currently teach a coding class at my local library. My students are all homeschooled and most of them didn’t have an opportunity to learn how to code before my class. When my app is complete, I plan on using it to teach my students!

Mentorship experience

1: I have a lot of experience as a coding instructor. I volunteer as a teaching assistant for our local school’s Coding Club, a mentor at a coding summer camp, and worked as a code coach for a coding academy. As a coding instructor, I taught teens how to code in different languages, from Python to Java. 

 

2: I am a Schoolhouse SAT Tutor. For the March 2024 DSAT, I tutored a group of kids and helped them prepare for the Math portion. Being a tutor taught me that not everyone learns the same and that it’s important to understand a student’s/mentee’s perspective to give them advice that will be helpful to them.

            Q&A with Erica

 

What others experienced

" I loved the entire experience. I was stuck with my project for a LONG time and I'm glad my mentor helped me. Not only did she help me with my project but she helped me connect with other researchers and experts."

—Amanda

8th Grade 

 

YES, I WANT IN!