Hey there!

My name is Fernando H Greenwood.  I’m a 25 year employee of Verizon Wireless. I noticed you are interested in coding/technology and that’s absolutely amazing! Right now, our world is moving to more of a technology focus in all things from the normal household appliances to even self-driving cars. This is looking to be not only profitable but a long lasting career path. You should be absolutely proud of yourself as you embark on this journey which can put you in the center of world changing advancements.

Hey there!

Hope you’re doing Awesome!!Thank you so much for encouraging me and black girls like my niece. You made a great decision in choosing STEM as a career. Black Girls love science and computers too. You are making a big impact. You are incredibly brave and I’m proud you have taken such a diverse path. With your brains and your talent I just know you will make a positive contribution in whatever you do. One of the important things to remember is to stay focused, surround yourself with people who are of good spirit to you. who will encourage you and support you. Remember you are an inspiration to other black girls just like you. Thank You and Keep it Up!

Hello Future STEM Leader!

I hope this letter finds you inspired and full of hope!!  First, I want to start by saying how proud I am that you are interested in coding!  I graduated from Rutgers School of Engineering many years ago.   I was nervous going into a STEM field but I am so happy I did.   There wasn’t a lot of support for women in STEM when I was in school.  I remember the ratio of males to females was 15:1.  There were 3 girls in my graduating class.  When I see how many girls are interested in STEM today, it makes me feel so hopeful for our future.   There is a bright future in coding.  Think about all the future products and services that require coding.  With 5G technology in its infancy, the possibilities to create products that require this advanced technology are unlimited.  We need coders.  We need female coders because at the end of the day, we need women to be part of how we are transforming the world.   

Hey there!

GM, my name is Jeff Price. All my friends and colleagues call me JP. I have worked for Verizon for 27 years in various depts and positions. I have had nine different jobs within the company and currently have reached the level of Assoc Director. With my goal to even move higher. When growing up as a kid my mind would always race at all the possibilities of what I could do in life. Where it would lead me and all the obstacles and challenges that would pop up and try to derail my goals and could I really be successful and good at my job. 

Hey there!

I am so hopeful about the future knowing that more and more girls are pushed into these types of careers.  I am also very thankful to the Black Girls Code for taking the initiative to inspire and encourage girls of colors (and girls in general) to take advantage of all the opportunities out there. 

Hey there!

My name is Michelle. I currently work for Verizon in Technical Support. I studied communications at Howard University.  I am very excited and proud to hear about this wonderful journey you all are a part of.  Science, Technology and mathematic is a fast-growing field. The innovative ideas that you will share and the skills you are enhancing will open the door to many career opportunities in the future.  I want you always remember that the sky is the limit.  

Hey there!

It is truly amazing that you are considering a career in STEM. As someone who pursued a Masters in Medieval Literature, studying Chaucer and Anglo-Saxon, but has subsequently enjoyed a 25+ year career in technology, I can tell you from experience that my diverse background, experience, interests, and skills are truly valued every day. Yours will be too!

Hey there!

I am so very proud of you young ladies for taking the initiative and doing something amazing and overall great—as you all are amazing and overall great!! You all are special and have gifts inside of you that the world needs to see. With technology always changing so much and so fast we definitely need you all to bring that innovation, problem solving, and critical thinking to the forefront. The diversity and opportunities with choosing a career in STEM are unmatched. Because of the growing demand the career opportunities are almost limitless while providing a high degree of job security, and you learn more than one skill which opens up careers within so many sectors. It’s great to know that overall there is something for everyone. 

Hello Future Leaders!

It is wonderful for you young ladies to be the leaders and set examples of doing something amazing by taking the initiative to be part of something special. You are setting the standard for the younger generation which in fact, now makes you all role models. You should be very proud of yourselves and each other! As you guide through your journey you will find bringing innovation, problem solving, and critical thinking to the forefront will help all generations. During your journey the key is to stay on the path for success. There could be times when things aren’t going quite the way you thought it would go. You will find out by staying on the path for success you will become a stronger leader. The diversity and opportunities with choosing a career in STEM are unmatched. Believing in yourself will provide you with endless opportunities.

Hey there!

My name is Johnny Babusci, and I am a Project Manager for Verizon Wireless. Along with working full-time, I am the father of two daughters and a son. I am always encouraging them to attend any STEM courses available at school because those courses will be essential to the careers available when they become adults. I’m glad you are interested in coding and other STEM courses because the experience will be invaluable!

Hey there!

I am writing this letter to tell you how proud I am of you.  You are making a difference in the world by pursuing your passion for coding, and that is something to be celebrated.  The world needs more girls like you!  You are breaking barriers and defying stereotypes.

Hey there future woman in STEM!

My name is Kayla Cook and I’d love to give you some advice on how to choose a career in STEM. I currently work as a Graphic Designer at Verizon in Basking Ridge, NJ. Although the job is creative, we use different systems of technology every day! When I was in college, a lot of the tech and coding classes I took were predominantly male. There were times when I was the only girl in the classroom! But don’t let that discourage you, let it EMPOWER you. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and take risks; work hard and you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Hey there!

First of all, congratulations on choosing STEM as a Career.  I’m part of the Technology and Product development Project Management team and I partner with innovation teams to drive the evaluation of break-through, next gen technologies and lead them to the path to commercialization and building a successful future VZ Consumer product portfolio pipeline.  I started my career as a software developer and pursued a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering.  As a fresh graduate, I had multiple options to choose from and build my career.   We are so blessed to be part of the innovative, technology world and our contribution to make it better makes a huge difference. Never be afraid to ask questions, learn and discover new things, create and build. It’s alright if you  fail and try again until you succeed.

Hey there!

My name is Denise and I am a part of the STEM family. I became interested in coding my senior year in high school. This was not my original plan for my life. I wanted to be a lawyer but after taking an elective course and realizing that I was good at coding, I decided to pursue this as my major in undergraduate school. I graduated from Hampton University in 1989 with a B.S. in Computer Science. I have been blessed to have a career at Verizon for almost 32 years. Guess what? I started out as an entry level developer. 

Hey there!

Hey there! Full disclosure I am not Black so I cannot pretend to understand the challenges that you may have encountered. I can however speak to being a girl that was not introduced to STEM as it is known today. Science, especially biology, and math were of interest to me -in retrospect I think I would have enjoyed being exposed to more technology – it was sorely lacking in the curriculum. Girls were geared towards “Home Economics” and boys towards “Shop” . I love to bake and cook. I also love the idea of building stuff. My advice to you, is to ask questions.

Hey there!

I hear you are doing great things and interested in learning more about the areas we call STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are all interesting fields and cover a broad range of opportunities for studies in school and further on in your career.

Hey there!

My name is Bobby, and as many engineers, I encourage you to follow STEM opportunities. I personally did not start in engineering, my first degree was in business administration, but I soon realized that my heart was not set in business. I started my IT degree and I can say it is not easy but it is so much more rewarding. I’m currently an engineer with Verizon and I can honestly say the STEM field needs you to design the next best innovation. 

Hey there!

I may name is Lynn and I am a Senior Operations Manager with Verizon.  Today females have so many amazing opportunities that were not around when I was growing up.  Trust me, had I known how big of a deal Science, Technology, Engineering and Math would be in the world today I most likely would have adjusted my course of study in college.  After graduating college with a degree in Business Administration I did work a couple of jobs more within the business world not as focused on STEM.  

Hey there!

Congratulations in advance on your future successes in STEM! I was about 11 when my interest in technology began to peak. I would spend hours adding designs, music and colorful marquees to my MySpace page. I had no idea that I was coding until much later in high school. This skill paved the way for a career in the technical field very early in life. I did not attend a university however the experience I obtained allowed me to better understand how things work and what’s needed to fix them. 

Hey there!

As person who is working in the Technology industry for over 10 years I will like to say this is an awesome field to be in. The sky is the limit when you decide to pursue a STEM career, because it’s ever-changing. You’ll be challenged to learn more about the changes, innovations and how technology will suit everybody on a daily basis. From digital currency, wireless technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and many more STEM related industries your career path can help people manage their day-to-day lives.