The mind of a coder
Clarke Central High School junior William Harden sits and writes code for his video game on Aug. 22. Harden has always been interested in coding, but he just found his passion for it recently. “About a year ago, I decided to get more into (coding) and learn more about just this one specific language called Java, which is a pretty common one,” Harden said. Photo by Owen Donnelly
From the first moment Will Harden laid his eyes on a computer, curiosity overwhelmed him. He was intrigued by all of the possibilities and untapped potential computers could unlock in the world.
The same curiosity sparked a question in Will: How could these little machines hold so much power and information?
Most people use electronic devices daily, whilst lacking an adequate understanding of its programmed foundation. Will’s curiosity, however, drove him to explore the vast landscape of the digital world.
Clarke Central High School junior Will Harden sits and explains why he started to learn about coding in his house on Aug. 22. Harden appreciates the work professional coders do to make everyday products. “I’ve always been sort of a nerd with video games and stuff like that. So I was really just interested in seeing the creative side of that instead of the consumer side of that. (I try) to see the process that went into it. (Coding is) sort of like a creative outlet,” Harden said. Photo by Owen Donnelly
Will Harden decided to learn how to code.
Will would stop at nothing to quench his thirst for knowledge. He would stay up late reading books and watching YouTube videos about computers and programming. Night after night, he would cultivate his coding expertise, learning new techniques and syntax for his craft.
Once Will learned the fundamental knowledge of how to code, he decided to create his own program. He wanted it to be something challenging, but at the same time, hold his interest.
He decided to pursue a project he knew he would be passionate about — creating a video game.
In the first stages of building his video game, Will struggled to make it functional. However, the process of addressing a problem and coming up with a creative solution gave him a feeling so satisfying that he found himself coming back, time after time.
“With any coding language, you have a specific structure you stick to. In real life, you don’t have a structure like that, but there are ways you can look at life which allow you to apply those skills,” Will said.
Clarke Central High School junior Will Harden poses in front of his computer in his home on Aug. 22. Harden recently began to be more interested in coding. “I only started coding seriously about a year ago. I decided to get more into it and learn more about just this one specific language called Java, which is a pretty common one,” Harden said. Photo by Owen Donnelly
Will fell in love with the process of creating products of his own. He spent his summer coding practically every day, perfecting his first project and even creating more video games.
After some months and lots of hard work, Will finished making his video games. He then began thinking about his long-term plans with coding.
Eventually, he decided he wanted to use programming in his future career, either working to make video games or working in tandem with movie studios.
To some, coding may seem perplexing, and becoming an actual coder would seem even more unattainable. But take it from Will Harden — he dove into the digital world through the coding language and isn’t looking back.
Story by Andrew Robinson
Photos and package by Owen Donnelly
