Danny Tekle

Dedicated and adaptable high school student with a proactive attitude and the ability to learn quickly. Strong work ethic and effective communication skills. Can utilize competent tech skills, and able to both lead and learn. Eager to contribute to a dynamic team and support organizational goals.

I’ve always wanted to give back in a meaningful way, so over the summer, I taught a free coding camp for underserved youth at my local Eritrean community center. It became an experience that shaped me for the better.

In preparation for the camp, we had two months to complete the lesson plan, conduct outreach, and fundraise to subsidize the student fees. Given my reserved disposition, I gravitated toward curating the lesson plan behind the scenes. It became evident that my role was expanding when I was tasked to create a promotional video for the camp. I prepared a script and rehearsed it overnight. Once in front of the camera, I struggled with formulating the words. After multiple failed attempts, we decided to pause and retry the following day.

Before reconvening, I sought help from my team member, Makda, who was experienced in content creation. I mentioned the issues I experienced when camera-facing and asked for coaching. I wrote down the root causes of my struggles - stuttering and forgetfulness - and she provided tools to combat them. Now equipped with her recommendations - including rhythmic breathing and picturing a friendly face in the camera lens - I recorded the video again all in one take. Makda was impressed with the resulting video and approved to disseminate it on the community center's marketing channels. The video reached a wide audience, garnering thousands of impressions and much-needed exposure.

As Makda shifted her focus to fundraising, I wanted to support her by identifying funding sources. Having built a robust network of professionals through various coding programs, I thought to leverage them as a starting point. I drafted an email outlining our program and included the marketing video for additional context. After 2 weeks, we exceeded our funding goal through individual contributions, and a corporation donated laptops and provided volunteers. Makda witnessed all that transpired and thanked me for my willingness to take unguided action.

Once the camp was initiated, each student was assigned a personal laptop and placed in small work groups, each led by a volunteer to provide additional support. The class took weekly quizzes to track their progress, and as students became familiar with the program, their scores increased. It all culminated in an end-of-course survey where the students described their experiences at the camp. Every student stated they would return if the camp were offered again and would recommend it to a friend.

This experience helped me realize the importance of having a well-rounded and selfless team. My inability to produce quality content would’ve never been resolved if it weren’t for the support of my teammate. Similarly, I leveraged my innate resourcefulness to repurpose the promotional video to alleviate the pressure to raise capital from my teammate.

When working in a collaborative environment, the setting must be conducive for members to freely raise concerns, express their hardships and troubles, and seek help from others to ensure they remain in lockstep towards their common goal.

Microsoft Sponsored Program:

The Washington Mesa program at Edmonds College has provided me with many scholarship and internship opportunities to help me during the college application process. The support Mesa has provided for me as a first-generation college student has granted me the ability to make myself a competitive college applicant.

School Applications and Intended Major:

University of Washington Bothell - Accepted

• Intended Major: Computer Science & Software Engineering
• Secondary Major: Computer Engineering

University of Washington Seattle - Pending Decision

• Intended Major: Computer Science & Software Engineering
• Secondary Major: Informatics