I recently had the pleasure of speaking as a panelist at Google’s Dress Code event at the Google headquarters in Venice beach! The purpose of the event was to celebrate the connection between computer science and fashion with local high school teens .

It’s time to shatter the stereotype that computer science is only for “the nerdy guy with glasses” and let the next generation know that computer science is involved in nearly all aspects of life, even fashion. I was given the opportunity to speak on the fashion influencer panel with four other amazing influencers. We were able to share from our own personal experiences as influencers, just how greatly intertwined computer science and fashion are for us. As an influencer, my main platform for reaching my audience is of course social media and the web, two of the most powerful and highly used forms of computer science in the world today. I wouldn’t be able to engage and share my fashion and lifestyle content without these 2 powerful forms of computer science.  This was just one example given out of many to let these teens know that computer science is indeed cool, and is utilized in all of the experiences in life that we all enjoy.

I also used my platform as a panelist to share a little bit of my own story in hopes that it would encourage, enlighten, and inspire, the young minds in the audience soon destined for adulthood. My message to them was to be courageous enough to go after your dreams, no matter what. Often times society will force us into doing what we are “supposed” to do which a lot of times is far from the pursuit of our own passion. Knowing early on that you can achieve tremendous success doing exactly what you love is very important.

The event itself was beyond amazing, and I had the chance to meet so many amazingly inspiring people. The amount of creative energy in the room was incredible, and I truly had an amazing time. Im beyond grateful for opportunities like this to use my platform to give back and inspire. For me that’s what it’s all about.