Innovation & Tech Today – May 2019

88 INNOVATION & TECH TODAY|SUMMER 2019

PARTNERSHIP WITHPRODUCED IN

Coding for Inclusivity

11-Year-OldSpeaker, Coder,and Advocate Anna Miller on

WhyCodingis for Everybody

By Anthony Elio

AnnaMiller’sstoryisoneofinspiration,

adversity,andhope.Anorphanoriginallyfrom

Russia,Millerwasadoptedattheageofthree,

endingupinChesapeakeBay,Maryland,with

hernewfamily.Bornwiththegeneticbone

disorderOsteogenesisImperfecta,Millerhas

madeit hermissiontoshowtheworldthatno

matterwhoyouarecodingisforyou.Her

enthusiasmfortechnologyhasresultedina

numberofspeakingopportunities,withMiller

aspiringtosomedaycreatea codingcamp

specificallyforyounggirlsandanapptoassist

thelivesofindividualswithdisabilities.

Miller’sadvocacy,story,andspeakingprowess

are being recognized, as seen with her

appearanceatWEDay,thelargestyouth

empowermenteventintheworld,alongside

hostNeilPatrickHarrisandcelebrityspeakers

suchasMahershalaAliandBillNye.Inthis

exclusiveinterview,Millerrevealswhatgother

interestedintechnology,themainmessageshe

wantstoconvey,andwhat she envisions for her

ambitiousfuture.

Innovation&TechToday: Whatoriginally

piquedyourinterestintechnology?

AnnaMiller:I wenttoa techprogramat

DigitalHarborFoundation.Oneofmyteachers

there,sheintroducedmetoonecodingprogram

inparticularcalledScratch.AndeversinceI’ve

been doing that, I’ve really just felt like this is

somethingthatI coulddo.Thisissomething

thatI wasgoingtobegood at, that would break

downbarriersforme.

I&TToday: Whydoyoubelievetechnology

asa whole,especiallywhenitcomesto

coding,issoimportantforthisgeneration?

AM:Well,weliveina worldwherea lotof

peopleoverlookpeoplelikeme,overlookgirls

orpeoplewithdisabilities.Soreally,I thinkthat

codingisforeveryone.Everyonecandoit no

matterwhoyouareorwhatyoudecidetobein

thefuture.AndI thinkthatit’sreallygood

becauseit’ssomethingthatyoudon’thavetobe

goodat,andyoucanprovetopeoplethatif you

can do this, then you can do anything.