Building Community Through Code
When second-year computer science major Eiliyah Sarowar stepped onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange this summer, she could hardly believe how far her coding journey had taken her. Moments later, she stood behind Kode with Klossy founder — and supermodel, entrepreneur and philanthropist — Karlie Kloss at the iconic bell-ringing ceremony.
“It didn’t feel real,” Sarowar recalled. “After the ceremony, I got to sign the wall alongside incredible people. It was one of the biggest honors of my life.”
That moment capped off a summer internship with Kode with Klossy, an international nonprofit that provides coding education to young women and gender-expansive youth. With over 11,000 alumni worldwide, the organization empowers the next generation of tech leaders through free camps and online resources.
For Sarowar, it was a full-circle experience. She first joined a Kode with Klossy web development camp as a high school sophomore after teaching herself HTML at age 9. “At my first camp, I didn’t just learn to code; I learned about the tech culture and community. The experience completely transformed my perspective.”
Motivated by that community, she co-founded a Women in STEM club at her high school and later returned to Kode with Klossy as a community ambassador. This summer, she served as an intern on their content and community team. She managed social media campaigns, created Instagram and TikTok content, and spotlighted student projects to advance the organization’s mission of access and equity. “I try not to think of it as just social media,” she said. “Each post could inspire a young girl to start her own coding journey,” she explained.
Sarowar’s focus on community has carried over to Stevens, where she serves as a representative for the Women in Computer Science Club (WiCS), which recently won Student Organization of the Year. Looking ahead, she’s eager to keep blending design, technology and outreach.
“Kode with Klossy gave me the chance to see myself in computer science,” she said. “Now, I get to help others see themselves in this field, too.”
