“My goal is similar to the mission of the Boolean Girl Camps. To instill inspiration in the STEM field for these kids, especially because they might not normally have access to this quality of education.”

-Sophia Vilela, Boolean Girl Instructor and former student

Sophia Vilela, a soccer player, robotics team member, and avid student, has jam-packed days. Yet, she has started an Eagle Scout initiative in her free time in partnership with Boolean Girl. 

Sophia was first introduced to Boolean Girl in second grade, when she joined Summer Camp and fell in love with the program. Speaking of her experience, Vilela said, “I was always that kid that wanted to stay in during break, and I had to get pulled away from the computer.”

After participating with Boolean Girl for several years, Sophia began volunteering and helping out on weekdays and in the summer. Sophia’s passion for the program only deepened with time after spending whole days working with kids. She plans to continue her work this summer amidst a busy junior year schedule, a testament to her dedication to Boolean Girl. 

Sophia sees herself in many camp students, which has deepened her passion for the program. She expressed what makes Boolean Girl special and spoke fondly of students, discussing their shared experiences within the program. On what makes her come back to Boolean Girl every year, Vilela said, “Seeing that same inspiration. Seeing myself in the kids. Seeing that kid who wants to stay in on their computer and how proud a child is with their work, because I had those same emotions.”

Sophia now has her sights set on a new project for her Eagle Scout Project. With the help of Boolean Girl, she is working to help students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who do not typically receive an equitable share of STEM resources. With micro:bit Kits provided by Boolean Girl, Sophia is teaching kids how to use these kits to develop a fundamental knowledge of coding while helping children explore their creativity in the process. “My goal is similar to the mission of the Boolean Girl Camps,” said Vilela.“To instill inspiration in the STEM field for these kids, especially because they might not normally have access to this quality of education.”

Additionally, Sophia is implementing a creative side to the projects. She knows that not every child will be at the same skill level, and by allowing kids to pursue complementary activities to coding, such as cardboard or Lego projects, she can add a layer of complexity for different learners. 

Sophia also noted the behind-the-scenes help of Boolean Girl in organizing various events while discussing how she overcame her challenges. “I’ve had to learn how to manage my time and be decisive while working around different schedules and locations.”

Moreover, Sophia discussed how her Eagle Scout initiative works hand-in-hand with Boolean Girl. By helping others in her community learn to code as an initiative, Vilela hopes to fuse scouting and STEM. 

“In the modern world, technology is becoming a part of life we need to become educated on,” said Vilela. “So it is really incredible that scouting can work with technology.” By doing so, Vilela demonstrates a desire to open kids' eyes to a new field they might not have considered beforehand. 

Sophia wants to major in an engineering-related field, with her current interest being computer science. When asked what made her want to pursue a STEM career, Sophia acknowledged Boolean Girl’s impact. “[It was] definitely because of Boolean Girl, 100 percent.”

Sophia has impacted the lives of those around her by working to enhance STEM education for those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds. In nearly a decade of dedication, Sophia has gone from a student to a volunteer to a worker. She has grown up with Boolean Girl inside and outside of the classroom, shaping lifelong learners along the way.

To learn more about Boolean Girl and its programs, visit booleangirl.org.