Sydney Langenhagen took her first computer science course as a sophomore at Thayer Academy in Braintree, MA. Her math teachers had recommended she take the course, a prerequisite to being admitted into the selective class. She hadn’t considered taking the rigorous course beforehand, but she worried she was risking missing out on an opportunity if she didn’t heed her professors’ recommendation.
She absolutely hated it.
“It was like learning a new language, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it,” Langenhagen said. “I had to get out of that class.”
She went to her professors and explained that the classwork was too much on top of all her other classes and extracurricular activities. The class itself was made up of 25 students, and she was one of three girls in total. The professor was adamant in encouraging her to stick with the class because they saw the importance of having women represented in STEM.
Backed into a corner and not one accustomed to quitting anything in her life, Langenhagen began to work harder than ever before, trying to understand the complexities of computer science. Then one day, something finally clicked.
“A switch flipped, and I went from hating it to actually understanding it and then eventually liking the complexity and challenges of it,” Langenhagen said. “I liked that I was doing something different than all of my peers, and I stuck with it through high school.”
The same year she began studying computer science, she went on a tour of Wake Forest after dropping her older sister off at Duke University. Having been born and bred in the Boston area, she wanted to explore a different part of the country and meet an array of new people. After seeing how beautiful the campus was and how many opportunities it offered, she was sold on Wake Forest.
Her mind has always been STEM-oriented, but because her personality has always been inclined towards working with others, she originally planned to study economics or business like her parents did. She quickly found herself drawn to her computer science classes and rediscovered her love for solving problems. She began excelling in her classes and became a teacher assistant for Professor Cody Stevens for introductory-level classes, where she’s been able to act as a mentor and example for younger students.
“There’s a stereotype of a computer science major, and I don’t think I necessarily fit that stereotype,” Langenhagen said. “I like being able to show [younger women] who are interested in computer science that anyone can be good at it… you just have to work hard at it.”
The problem-solving skills she’s developed from computer science have spilled over into her own life, and she now finds herself being able to step away from issues and see things from a broader perspective. She says she handles her problems and her friend’s problems with more maturity and logic, which has helped her positively impact the lives around her.
“When I was in high school, I was scared about being a huge nerd and would try to hide it,” Langenhagen said. “Now I feel confident embracing who I am.”
After graduation, she plans to return to Boston, where she will work as a software engineer for Google’s Ads Backend in their Cambridge office. She’ll be working parallel to the team she’s interned for over the past summer. The prestigious position means she’ll be able to attend more Boston sports matches with her friends and family, which she is very much looking forward to.
“I walk around Boston and can just feel everyone’s spirit and can tell they’re happy to be there,” she said. “I’m excited to be there.”
