Madison Donley has loved computer technology ever since the 4th grade, when she joined the robotics club and started her journey with programming. Her biggest inspiration is her father, who has supported her all throughout high school.
Since discovering her passion, Donley has received multiple awards for her work, including CTE certifications and Sterling Scholar. One of Donley’s biggest accomplishments was the tank game she made while interning for the Hill Air Force Base.
“It took a lot of problem solving and trial and error, but it was very fun and we accomplished a lot,” she said.
When Donley found out she made Sterling Scholar, she was ecstatic. Running for Sterling Scholar takes a large amount of time and energy, with most students having to complete an online portfolio and demonstrate their excellence in different areas of computer technology, like programming and networking.
Donley winning Sterling Scholar proves her dedication to computer technology and her future career as a talented programmer. Donley hopes to continue pursuing computer technology because it expands her creativity and knowledge about the online world.
“There are so many different ways to program something, and you get to experiment and create something the way you envision it,” she said.
If Donley could give one piece of advice to future programmers it would be “to test new things and fail. I can’t say how many different times I attempted to program the same thing, but it taught me a lot and really helped me understand how programming works and how to accomplish what I wanted to.”
Outside of computer technology, Donley enjoys hanging out with her friends, tumbling, and playing different musical instruments. After high school, Donley plans on attending an LDS mission, and then attending college.
