Passionate about coding, student aspires to become an engineer

Mitali Bangre, a Year 13 student at GEMS Founders School Dubai, makes it clear that her ‘‘favourite and strongest subject’’ is computer science.

‘‘I am passionate about and enjoy programming; Python is my favourite coding language,’’ says the 17-year-old.

According to Mitali, what she loves most about the subject is the practical aspect of it, which involves writing lines of code to execute certain tasks.

‘‘It also makes for an engaging pastime. With this passion for coding, I aspire to pursue a career in the software engineering field,’’ says the Dubai student, who also enjoys playing chess and has several honours to her credit in the game.

Excerpts from an interview:

What attracted you to programming?

What first piqued my interest in programming and still continues to do so is its inventive nature and the fact that it doesn’t require theoretical knowledge to be mugged up. Rather, one needs to comprehend the rules of the programming language to utilize the code in real life.

It is almost as though you are learning a new language to interact with people in a foreign country. It is a creative way to explore and express your thoughts. You can write lines of code to create minigames to play by yourself or large problem-solving programs for the public.

Have you developed any apps or programs?

I haven’t officially developed any apps. I stick to creating mini programs to comprehend the logic and functioning behind existing ones, like those in calculators and in quiz apps. However, I do aim to collaborate with peers with the same interest in university and undertake projects to develop larger programs.

Have you taken any extra-curricular courses in programming or participated in workshops related to the same?

Outside of school, I have taken multiple online courses through platforms like Coursera, iDTech, and HarvardX CS50x. During the Covid years, I kept myself occupied with online courses to keep my passion alive and my practice running.

During this time, I also completed an online internship. It was the most productive way for me to spend the spare time I had at home.

I took a crash course in Python when I first started using it and, more recently, I took a course that introduced me to C++. I noticed similarities between Python, C++, HTML, Visual Basic and other programming languages I have come across, helping me comprehend algorithmic thinking better. Other courses revolving around this subject like AI and Data Science assisted me in gaining insight into new areas and learning about new terminologies in depth.

Who are your mentors and what are the 3 best lessons they have taught you?

My father is my most supportive mentor, and I always look up to him. He has trained me to be calm when things do not go as planned.

He motivates me to never lose hope, view every failure as a learning opportunity, and do better the next time. He has taught me how to maintain a balanced lifestyle. He pushes me to enjoy and not forget to live my life while working to build it.

Another skill I have acquired from him is adjustment with patience - looking through and understanding diverse points of view in order to maintain a healthy environment for myself and others.

What is your dream career?

Software engineering.