Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and where you grew up?

PD : Hi! My name is Pranati Dani, and I am a rising senior at Redmond High School in Redmond, Washington. I have always been a dedicated student, and that dedication is what brought me towards STEM and other hobbies I pursue today. For example, I am heavily interested in badminton, dance, and teaching, and have always figured out how to weave my STEM interests into these in some way. In general, I live life with positivity and all my hobbies and STEM interests have contributed to that. I lived in India for the early years of my life, moved to the United States in third grade, and have been here ever since. Therefore, a competitive nature has always been part of my life, and the positivity and dedication I hold help me succeed in it.

When and how did you get into technology? 

PD : I have always been a STEM kid – ever since I saw my first animated catwalk across the screen with Scratch as a third grader. Since that moment, the idea of computers doing tasks that we wish has always been intriguing to me. When I wanted to know how computers learned, I immediately got into self-learning Python and Java. When I wanted to know how computers process information, I immediately got into self-learning Machine Learning. Today, my curiosity has driven me to a more knowledgeable and dedicated person in STEM fields. With a lack of resources presented to me through school, I have been able to persevere to find opportunities for my self, whether that is online classes, extracurriculars, or websites. After learning many programming languages for around five years of my life, I began to get into projects and games a few years ago. Although my journey in STEM has been very male-dominated, I have always pushed myself through and am here today as a bright and excited STEM student.

Can you share an example or two of the things you have done in or with tech that you are particularly proud of? What some of the solutions that you are working on now?

PD : I am extremely proud of the way I teach STEM subjects. I recently became the director for STEMTeen Seattle, and we have been holding workshops in order to bring in students into this field. In addition, I teach through multiple other organizations such as Girls Rock in Math and Science and even have started my own at-home teaching seminars. Being able to bring other students into STEM fields is most important to me, as I know that, especially as a girl, encouragement is necessary. Teaching allows me to give that while allowing them to have immense fun with the subjects as well. In addition, I recently have started a research project with Machine Learning. Through this, I have been monitoring the efficiencies of multiple ML models in order to predict Liver Cancer. Although I am still working on this project with my team, we placed at IYRS, the International Youth Research Summit this month!

What do you like best about your job/technology? Share in 3 words.

PD : Mystery to Uncover.

Have you encountered any challenges along the way – and, if so, how did you overcome them?

PD : As many girls in STEM, one of the main challenges I have encountered is being a woman in this field. Even as a high schooler, I have faced enough people with the prejudice that girls do not belong in STEM. For essence, I was once attempting to join the Programming Club at school and was immediately told that ‘I would feel out of place and should not join’. Although such statements hurt for a while, it drives us to make a change as well. For me, it led me to create the Girls Who Code club at my school, and I am incredibly proud I did so. Now, I can not only have a safe environment for myself, but also for other girls who wish to pursue STEM.

What’s a lesson that you learned along the way that you’d like to share?

PD :  I have learned that it is extremely vital to celebrate every achievement. Always carry a simple goal in mind – a goal that pertains to the next step. Although knowing what you want in ten years is vital, it is necessary to take happiness in the small steps you make in order to reach that goal. With this, you can reach satisfaction every week rather than waiting ten years. That bit of satisfaction and happiness will turn out to be very important for your own mental well-being.

Share your advice for young girls who want to change the world with computer science (in 3-5 words)?

PD : Only you determine your path.