On August 9, Software.org’s class gathered at Georgetown Law’s Gewirz Student Center with their teachers and family members for an exciting evening: graduation from the Girls Who Code program.

Alex Givens, executive director of the Institute for Technology Law and Policy at Georgetown Law, and Chris Hopfensperger, executive director of Software.org, both gave welcome remarks and the girls were so surprised to learn they got to keep the laptops they had been using all summer.

Next up was keynote speaker Elaine Filadelfo, global head of data communications at Twitter. “I don’t want you to ever second guess your abilities, your skills, your right to be in the room, or your right to share you voice,” she told them. “It’s easy to feel like you aren’t qualified enough, but focus on what you do know and what you are good at.”

The final speakers of the night were the girls and the teachers themselves. Sabrina Rodriguez and Mickeyla Clark, two Software.org students, shared their experiences with the program.

“This program put me in a situation where I had to jump out of my comfort zone… and I am 1,000 times better for it,” said Mickeyla.

“I feel like sometimes we miss opportunities because we think they don’t exist. They do exist and you can do it. But don’t forger to call me after you conquer the world and tell me all about!” gushed Sabrina. “Thanks for Software.org, Georgetown Law, and, of course, Girls Who Code for introducing us to the wonderful world of coding.”

The night ended with all six groups pitching their final projects, a culmination of the skills they learned during the program. And of course, each girl received her diploma.

Congratulations to the Girls Who Code Class of 2018!