Today we’d like to introduce you to Esha Sehgal Shivika Varshney
Hi Esha Sehgal, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
From a young age, we both grew up around evolving technology and always found ourselves captivated by it. By middle school, we had discovered a deep passion for coding. And as we progressed through high school, we decided we wanted to pursue a career in computer science. It was then that we realized the statistics we often heard about the underrepresentation of women in technology were reflected in our own experiences. We saw the lack of girls in our own computer-related courses at school.
This realization sparked a desire to inspire more girls to explore the incredible world of computer science. Our goal was to create a low-pressure, supportive, and welcoming environment where anyone would feel encouraged to learn and grow. So, Code Her World, a fiscally sponsored 501(c)(3) was born! This journey has been about turning a personal passion into a broader mission to empower the next generation of women in tech. As an organization, we have reached 2,000 students in 10+ countries and we cannot wait to see what the future entails!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It certainly hasn’t, but we’ve learned a lot from those setbacks! In the beginning, it was very difficult trying to find an audience for our workshops because we had a small following. We had little experience in running our own initiative, and it felt a lot like we were sprinting a marathon. We also didn’t have any personal connections who could guide us in kickstarting the organization, so all of it was learning along the way. It took a lot of work to reach out to other student-led organizations, businesses, and professionals to get our name out there. Oftentimes, people wouldn’t respond at all, so we couldn’t build those connections. This may have also been because we are just high school students and “lack” that credibility of having real-world experience. However, we were able to prove authenticity through our well-organized workshops. Over time, we developed our network through our schools, allowing our following to grow rapidly. Our outreach kept multiplying and growing on its own!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We offer not only educational opportunities but also resources for those who already know they would like to pursue computer science, so they can get directly involved within our organization itself. We have something for everyone, no matter where they are in their computer science journey! After all, our main mission is to give girls in high school a real-world experience that they can grow from!
Something that sets us apart is that we are run by students, for students. We have that edge where we understand what it’s like to be a high schooler in this day and age. We strive to be a helping hand and resource!
We are most proud of the impact we’ve made not only in our hometown but also globally in places we once never even imagined reaching. There is nothing more fulfilling than the testimonials we receive at the end of a workshop or internship cohort! The connections and people we meet along the way make all the hard work worth it. Even if just one person is impacted after an event, it is still deemed a complete success!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
All of our offerings can be done remotely! People (preferably high school students) can work with us by applying when volunteer positions are open. If people would like to volunteer for in-person events, they are more than welcome to email codeherworld@gmail.com. We are based near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and would love all the help we can get! All opportunities can be found on our Instagram @codeherworld and our newsletter, which is sent out biweekly. People can support us by leaving reviews or donating through our website (found through the link in our Instagram bio)!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/codeherworld
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codeherworld/
