Meet Molly Ilijevich - an Information Security Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Master’s student, and a Bold Idea Mentor. Learn how Molly is helping 5th grade students build a growth mindset.
What have you gained from being a mentor?
I have gained patience in the teaching process. Since I do have knowledge in how to code, it is hard for me to keep my mouth shut and let my mentee experiment with things that are very obviously wrong to me. Sitting back, letting the kids experiment and mess up is how they retain the information; explaining to them why it was wrong before they even try is definitely not as memorable. It is how I learn, so I’m not sure why it took me awhile to figure it out. Also, the kids are so unperturbed about making mistakes, we laugh about it and move on. It is super refreshing to see.
What was your most memorable moment while mentoring?
Anytime something clicked for my mentee was obviously great. However, the presentations at the end will always be specifically memorable. The week before my mentee was a hard pass on presenting in front of her peers but the day of came and she decided to go for it. She was even excited to do it and worried that we would run out of time before she could go. The change in attitude happened because she told her mom about the presentation. Her mom suggested she get up and present since she had worked hard on getting the website to where it was. Just seeing how a parent’s interest and advice changed my mentee’s perception of something was really incredible.
What is something many people don’t know about you?
I’m a pretty open book and love to talk, so it is hard to point to something that a lot of people don’t know about me. One thing might be that I am focusing on learning to draw this year. I don’t really have a traditional creative outlet, so I am working on establishing one.
How did you become interested in technology?
I became interested in technology in high school. I was a kid when home computers and the Internet became prevalent but using them didn’t really instill a strong interest in me, outside of playing games on them. Programming robots in a computer science elective is what really sparked my interest. I still remember how excited I was when the robot I programmed won a dance competition held in the class. Since then, I have had a pretty healthy enthusiasm for all things technology.
What did you study in college?
I started out in Computer Science and ended up eventually switching to Information Systems. At the time, switching majors seemed to be the only decision. I hadn’t really developed a growth mindset in High School since I was “naturally smart.” When things got hard with programming, I figured I just wasn’t smart enough to learn the subject. After I switched over, I took some coding electives and realized I was wrong.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working as an Information Security Analyst. The role consists of more than analysis, with system administration and coding involved as well. At work, I am also involved in a group that is using Machine Learning to solve startup issues in applications. Outside of work, I am getting my Master’s in IT with a focus on Programming and Data Science.
Is there anything that you wish you could tell your younger self about coding?
That you can learn it. Trying and failing is just a part of the learning process, so get used to it and don’t give up.
What is it about Bold Idea’s mission that really connects with you?
I mentioned it before but the focus that Bold Idea has on a growth mindset really resonates with me. If I had established one earlier in life then I don’t think I would’ve ever given up on Computer Science. It is also really important to establish in kids now since it looks like the work landscape of the future, with all of the changes in technology and automation, is going to rely on people who are able to constantly learn new things and grow.