Google, Code Next

Student Mental Health & Wellness Workshops

During the height of the pandemic, I met with Code Next students located across the country for group discussions focused on relevant mental health topics (i.e. anxiety, depression, social isolation, family dynamics, and motivation) and provided tools, strategies, and local resources for managing challenges as they arise

Staff Training

Code Next staff includes coaches and program managers that have a background in education, engineering, and computer science, whose identities reflect those of the students who attend the program. I had the opportunity to join a Code Next staff retreat to: a) educate staff on mental health issues that impact the students with whom they work, b) discuss the impact of identity in working with colleagues and students, c) create community guidelines, and d) provide guidance on how to identify, manage, and document challenging situations with students as they arise.

Mentor Program Development and Training

Code Next students have the opportunity to connect with Googlers via a new mentoring program. I worked with the Code Next program managers to create a handbook for the mentoring program and deliver training to new mentors focused on: a) what mentoring is, b) building awareness around how identity enters the mentoring relationship, and c) providing tools and strategies for building relationships with mentees and setting SMART goals.