Nigerian Web Developer, 15, Who Creates Websites Using Phone Shares How She Started Coding at 8
- A Nigerian SS3 student who started coding at eight shared how she used her phone to create websites for clients
- She opened up about balancing her career as a web developer with her academics as a secondary school student
- Her mother shared the unique thing she noticed about her daughter that made her know she would go into tech at a young age
A Nigerian 15-year-old girl, Stephanie Emmanuella Dominic, caught people’s attention after revealing that she was a front-end web developer on X.
She posted her portfolio on her X page, @techsteph, and people were amazed by what she could achieve without a laptop and with just her phone.
Source: UGC
In this interview with Legit.ng, the SS3 student shared how her tech journey began at 8, her achievements so far and her future aspirations.
15-year-old Stephanie started coding at 8
Stephanie, who hails from Akwa-Ibom State but is based in Ogun, shared how she picked an interest in tech as a child.
She told Legit.ng:
“My mum is into tech. She was going to attend a hackathon one day and decided to take me along. That was the AngelHack hackathon, which took place eight years ago in Lagos state.
“I saw people building amazing things, and I was wowed. I loved the atmosphere and everything I saw. That's when I decided what I wanted to do. A white woman there was amazed by my interest and gifted me my first laptop.”
Speaking on the role her mother played in her interest in tech, Stephanie added:
“My mom has been my guide since when she introduced me to coding when I was eight starting with block based programming languages and even when I transitioned into web development at age eleven, she introduced me to websites, courses and tutorials that I can learn from.”
SS3 student shares how she creates website with phone
Stephanie said she started using her phone to create websites after she no longer owned a laptop.
She mentioned how ChatGPT guided her in choosing a code editor for her projects.
Her words:
“I use a code editor called Spck Editor, which I found out about from ChatGPT when I was trying to find out a way to continue learning even without a laptop. I find it very easy to use, and the environment is comfortable with auto-complete and all. I can preview my code and check the console.
“I linked it with my github so I can commit and push changes and as for deployment, it's easy once my code is on GitHub, I use platforms like pxxl app for its speed and netlify to deploy my projects.
“While I may be able to use my phone to learn and build projects, there are many limitations to what I can do as a developer. Having a laptop will make learning and building more efficient. I'll be able to access much more than I can right now with just a phone.”
Teen web developer speaks on balancing passion with academics
Stephanie opened up about how she balanced her passion for tech with her schoolwork.
She said:
“I have special times dedicated to complete schoolwork making sure that I don't lag behind. I make use of resources like ai and YouTube tutorials to learn more about what I've been taught in school and indulge in self-study. God has been my strength through all these.”
Speaking about her aspirations, Stephanie added:
“I seek to learn as much as I can in my field. As for my career path I aim to become a software engineer with a focus on AI and cloud.”
Source: UGC
Stephanie’s mum speaks about daughter’s passion for tech
Legit.ng also spoke to Stephanie’s mum, Loveth Chinasa, about how she guided her daughter’s path into tech.
She said:
“Stephanie has always been an excellent child and early enough she told me she wanted to become software engineer. At her tender age I realised she was very good at playing games even difficult ones that I find hard to play. Once I downloaded them for her, within a short while she would do excellently well.
“I got her a phone at the age of 4 and downloaded some coding games and apps,then started coaching her in some of the coding courses.”
Sharing how Stephanie’s love for tech affected her overall performance, her mother added:
“In her academics she has always remained an excellent student and in all the schools she has been to, she always comes out as the best. Most of the time, her teachers get intimidated when they don't have answers to her questions. She asks questions alot.”
Encouraging other parents to groom their child in their desired skills, Stephanie’s mum said:
“Once you notice interest your child, catch them young. Encourage and assist them, let them know the benefits and importance. Introduce them to it early and lecture them appropriately to make sure they utilize their skills in a positive way.
“Also take them for competitions and related events where they get to learn from colleagues. That will help them build their career in technology.”
In related stories, a man shared how he skipped NYSC to learn a tech skill, while another shared why he dumped his tech job in America to relocate to Nigeria.
Lady shares what she achieved with tech money
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian lady skilled in data analysis and machine learning shared how she spent the money she made from tech in one year.
She showed off the acre of land, solar inverter, flat screen smart television, iPhone and other things she spent her money on.
Many hailed the young lady and inquired more about her source of income as a tech professional.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
