Nicole Dominguez

While her grandmother worked at the IT department in her elementary school, Nicole Dominguez’s family
wasn’t foreign to working in STEM. She was first introduced to coding when playing Neopets, an online
game where HTML and CSS are used to decorate the user's virtual homes. When she began to advance at
code, Nicole’s mother bought her a domain name so Nicole could create a website of her own. Once The New
York Times gave Nicole recognition, she was able to see the life she could create with a job that felt more like a
hobby. Right out of high school, Nicole was able to be highered by a startup company and skip out on the
“college experience.” As of now, she shares her story to young kids, inspiring them to follow their dreams. With
effort and a strong work ethic, Nicole was able to live a life she always wanted.

Steve Jobs

As Steve Jobs was given off from a young age, his interest for computers sparked when experimenting with electronics in the garage. Though excelling in college, he often struggled with formal classroom settings and was a hassle for teachers.
Later, Jobs traveled to India, where he got his first work experience, and met Steve Wozniak. Soon after, they co-founded Apple and took over the tech industry. Jobs shows you can become successful without the need of a formal education.

Emma Wedekind

Emma Wedekind grew up planning to become an OBGYN. Her parents both worked for IBM, and as she aged, Wedekind valued being separate from her parent’s field of work. In her sophomore year of college, Wedekind saw her gift for code, and began to pursue software engineering. With the stigma of her job being primarily male-based, Emma is able to ignore the sexist questions, and encourage girls like her, through offering tips on her website.