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.