Meet Melissa Sariffodeen

Melissa Sariffodeen graduated with her degree in Honours Business Administration along with her Diploma in Accounting, Business Administration, and Management from the Ivey School of Business at Western University. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Education Policy. She is the CEO of Canada Learning Code.

When did your love of STEM begin?

I taught myself how to build websites from scratch using HTML when I was 11 years old and have been coding ever since.

What did you love most about study in your field of STEM?

The best part of STEM education is the 'a-ha' moments - giving people the chance to see technology in a new light. As something they can leverage and not fear. The technology industry is so creative and always changing but so many people don't have that perception of it. Giving people the chance to build something - to solve their own problems and empower them to become passionate builders -- not just consumers -- of technology is such a great feeling.

What advice would you give to young women considering a career in STEM?

Learn to code! Even if you're not planning on a career as a developer - having a fundamental understanding of how technology works and honing in on problem solving and creativity skills will be really valuable.