College: DePaul University

Major: Cybersecurity

Sipping her chai tea latte, senior Imani Noël’s fingers fly across the keyboard as she codes in JavaScript. Ever since she took her first coding class freshman year, Noël said she knew computer science was the field for her.

“I really like to code,” Noël said. “I love the creativity and flexibility it [gives] me as an individual.”

Noël is majoring in cybersecurity, as she is passionate about preventing human trafficking. She plans to attend DePaul University in Chicago.

“I started liking cybersecurity after [learning] about these hackers, or cybersecurity analysts, who [helped find] missing people,” Noël said. “It really opened my eyes to how cybersecurity could be used for good.”

Noël is in STL Caps and spends half of the school day at the Technology Solutions and Logistics branch. Between being National Honor Society president, a class officer and part of KH Players, Noël said she gets overwhelmed at times.

“Sometimes I feel like I fall short of these high expectations I put for myself and people put on me,” Noël said. “[I do] a lot, but it’s manageable because I have friends and teachers who help me get through it.”

Adam Rowland, English teacher, taught Noël in AP Language and Composition last year. He said he sees a bright future for Noël.

“Imani is extremely driven and talented, though she doesn’t believe that about herself,” Rowland said. “She will go as far as she wants to go.”

Linden Burba, sophomore, met Noël at the KH Players banquet last year. She is one of Noël’s closest friends, and said she has a knack for computer science.

“[Computer science] is the perfect field for Imani,” Burba said. “Through computer science, [she will] touch people’s lives in a very [beautiful] way.”

Because 70% of those majoring in computer science are male and 6% are Black (Stanford Daily), Noël said she feels discouraged at times. But she acknowledges the programs and scholarships that help Black women like her get into the field and feel empowered.

“I always love to encourage women and the Black community to go into computer science,” Noël said. “Because there’s room for everybody.”