At Marquette University, a group of young women from Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy took the stage to present something they built from scratch, not just websites, but confidence, curiosity, and a sisterhood rooted in code.
The event, Indeed We Code Demonstration Day, was the culmination of a three-day coding workshop led by Indeed We Code, a national nonprofit founded to empower young Black girls through technology. For HFCA’s first-ever cohort, known as The Starting Six, it was an experience that opened their minds and maybe even a few future career paths.
For ninth grader Angelique Stewart, standing at Marquette University and presenting her team’s work felt surreal. “We’re gonna do a presentation for Indeed We Code and show what we learned over the last three days, which is actually pretty fast to make a website,” she said with a grin.
Angelique described coding as baking a cake. “You’ve got your base, your words, your titles, and then your frosting, the colors and details. Then the sparkles are the fun stuff, like videos and pictures.” She even added a photo of herself from the beginning of the school year. “It turned out pretty cute,” she said, laughing.
That metaphor perfectly summed up her experience, a mix of creativity, focus, and fun. “I loved STEM and I still do,” she said. “I just wanted to learn something new and tell people about what I learned.”
For Angelique, the program broke down myths about coding being super hard. She found it surprisingly simple once she got the hang of it. “Most people think you have to use so many complicated things, but really, it’s like math. You copy things, memorize things, and make it work. I love that.”
Sophomore Akirrah Molette felt the same way. “At first, I was nervous. You gotta read everything carefully and make sure you do each step right, or it’ll mess up,” she said. “But I calmed down, took my time, and ended up learning a lot.”
For her, the highlight wasn’t just the coding. “You get to meet people, you get to bond, and you get to try out new things,” she said. “Being here at Marquette is fun too. It’s my dream college.”
As the girls talked about their experience, a shared excitement emerged, a mix of pride and curiosity about what could come next. “I never heard of opportunities like this in other schools,” Angelique added. “It’s super fun, and I’m just waiting for all the possibilities.”
For Michelle Wilson, co-founder and technical advisor of Indeed We Code, that excitement is exactly what she hoped to see.
After more than 30 years in information technology, often as the only Black woman in the room, Wilson co-founded Indeed We Code with her colleague Dr. Patricia Ackerman to close the digital literacy gap for Black and Brown students.
“Technology runs the world,” Wilson said. “Coding is the foundation of technology, and by teaching our girls to code, we’re giving them transformative skill sets.”
The program focuses on more than just the technical side. “We don’t do drag and drop,” she explained. “We teach our girls how to write code from scratch using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Even if they don’t go into STEM, the analytical and teamwork skills they build will carry them anywhere. Each one, teach one.”
Wilson said moments like these showcase more than technical knowledge. “When our girls stand up and present their work, that’s confidence. That’s self-esteem. That’s knowing they are enough.”
For Dr. Howard Fuller, founder of Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, this collaboration carries deep meaning.
“Back in 1969, I founded Malcolm X Liberation University, and there was a 17-year-old young woman who came there named Michelle Wilson,” Dr. Fuller said. “Now she’s one of the founders of Indeed We Code, and she’s here working with our young ladies at HFCA. For both of us, it’s a full circle moment. What I’m hoping is that one or all of these young ladies will have their lives changed because they learned this skill.”
“It’s the idea of ‘each one teach one,’” said Wilson. “Dr. Fuller, I always tell him that he helped me grow up. So it is full circle. It’s the moment where the 17-year-old gets to work with her mentor of 57 years, and I’m so thankful.”
At HFCA, opportunities like Indeed We Code are about more than enrichment. They’re about exposure, empowerment, and equity, helping students see themselves as creators, leaders, and innovators.
Programs like this remind students that the future isn’t just something to dream about. It’s something they can build, line by line, code by code.