In today’s society, one would be hard-pressed to find a job that does not in some shape, form, or fashion, include mechanics and elements of STEM. From video games to medicine, people who understand and are able to navigate through STEM fields are becoming more and more of an asset than not.
When nineteen-year-old Sasha Ariel Alston, a Pace University student, pursued her love for coding, she noticed that there weren’t many girls of color on the same path. Springing into action, the information systems major decided to write a children’s book, encouraging girls to learn about coding and other STEM fields.
“The purpose of the book is to get girls interested in coding and provide basic coding terms,” the teen told the Huffington Post. “A lot of people aren’t aware of what STEM is and what coding is. I wanted to raise awareness of the acronym, specifically for girls.”
Taking two years to write Sasha Savvy Loves to Code, Alston chronicles the journey of a ten-year-old, Sasha Savvy, who is interested in coding.
To publish the work, which is illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Alston raised money on Kickstarter, surpassing her goal of $5,000.
Available on Amazon by early next month, Alston hopes that Sasha Savvy’s adventures inspire generations of young women to follow their dreams no matter what, letting them know that, “…they can achieve whatever they want.”
