Mentor Profile: Meet Lucinda

Lucinda Krahl joined our mentoring team last fall and now supports ideaSpark students at The MIX. 

As a software consultant at Pariveda Solutions, Lucinda solves cool problems every day and codes full stack - a passion she brings to her team of 11-14 year olds each week.

Meet Lucinda...

How did you become interested in tech and programming?
I got interested in programming in high school when I took AP Computer Science. I had always liked math and puzzles, and I was told that programming was a creative combination of those two things. I’ve been hooked ever since.

What did you study in college?
I studied Computer Science and Theology at the University of Notre Dame. 

What are you working on now?
I am now a software consultant for Pariveda Solutions. I’m helping my client improve an internal transportation application, so I get to solve some pretty cool problems, and I get to code full stack (database, code, and UI)!

What have you gained from being a mentor? What was your most memorable moment while mentoring?
Through being a mentor, I have gained confidence in my own teaching skills, appreciation for teachers (wow they have a tough job), and a better understanding of the intellectual potential of young kids. They’re really smart! You just have to help them show that. My most memorable moment was probably when one student, who kept complaining about how boring a project was, started exploring with colors in CSS. And then the student said, “Hmm. This isn’t as boring as I thought.” That student will remember that feeling.

Is there anything that you wish you could tell your younger self about coding?
I wish I could tell my younger self that just because you’ve never seen a girl programmer on TV, doesn’t mean you can’t be a girl programmer.

Is there anything about our mission that really connects with you?
I really connect with Bold Idea’s emphasis on teamwork. There aren’t enough tech team projects at the elementary level, and I can tell that the students really grow in both soft and hard skills by solving problems as a team.