My Typical Work Day
A typical workday at San Jose State in the Center for Community Learning and Leadership office is always exciting and fun.
We work in an office that allows easy check-ins and conversations with one another and with our supervisor. Being one of two VISTAs in the office, we each have specific things we do day-to-day. Kevin, my co-VISTA works on research and data for our program Cyber Spartans. The research aims to assess the program by evaluating youths’ self-efficacy and engagement in cybersecurity and computer programming. The program hopes to inspire the youth to enter the STEM field. I work on developing, editing, and creating the curriculum that we will implement for the semester when we go out and teach youth cybersecurity and coding. Preparing all the materials that we will need (warm-ups, PowerPoints, Scratch code, etc.) allows us to deliver the lesson in the best way possible to really instill in the youth the concept that they “can do it!” Our program serves youth in Title 1 schools where they may not be exposed to our curriculum unless they pay for a program. Our hope is to level the playing field and give youth and mentors an experience that will motivate them to enter the STEM field, succeed in the field and help make it more diverse.
Why I Serve with CSU STEM VISTA...
It gave me the opportunity to create a program for kids in lower-income communities that without our intervention may not be exposed to computer programing or cybersecurity.
After graduating college, I wanted to take some time to do something other than school that still involved serving the community. On my last day of my spring quarter, my instructor sent out an email about the different CSU programs offered through AmeriCorps. Coming from an education and human development background, I wanted to work with kids. I was told that the programs I initially applied for had been filled and was offered SJSU. I am glad I was placed here; it gave me the opportunity to create a program for kids in lower-income communities that without our intervention may not be exposed to computer programing or cybersecurity. I learned basic coding and cybersecurity myself to help teach the curriculum and I am glad I can see first-hand the students’ progress and sense of achievement when they finish coding their programs and relay back the cybersecurity information that was taught.