Yvon is Only Ten, But Already a Seasoned Programmer!

This week’s featured maker is an experienced coder – she’s only ten years old but has already been programming games for two years! Meet Yvon, who lives and codes in Indonesia. Her hobbies include making projects in Tynker, playing games, and doing puzzles!

Most people at her school don’t even know she codes, so we’re excited to be part of the reveal of Yvon’s talent! According to her mom, Fenty, “They only know that Yvon is smart, she always gets the first in the class, and she always joins mathematics competitions – she’s very good in mathematics.” (In fact, Yvon recently won a bronze medal at Southeast Asian Mathematical Olympiad!)

Fenty told us that Tynker has changed Yvon’s plans for the future! “Before she knew Tynker, she wanted to be a scientist or a mathematician, but after she played Tynker she changed her mind – she wanted to become a programmer!”

We were really lucky to get to chat with Yvon! She even spoke to us in English, her second language, and helped us understand a lot about her and why she likes to code. Read on to discover how she found Tynker,

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a programmer because I can make my own games.

What’s your favorite subject in school? Computers and mathematics!

How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured? I felt really happy when I found out that my project had been featured!

How did you get introduced to Tynker? I was looking for games on my iPad when I found Tynker! I clicked on it and it was fun.

How did you learn how to use Tynker? I just tried to understand the blocks!

How do you get inspiration for your projects? I usually look at the community to get ideas!

Why do you like to code? Because if I code I can make my own games, enjoy it, and have a fun game to play.

What is your favorite project you’ve made so far? Multi-level hangman.

Multi-Level Hangman – see more of Yvon’s projects here

What are you planning to make next? I’m planning to improve my new project called Cook & Earn.

What do you do with a project when you’re done with it? I test it, and then if something is wrong, I fix it.

Who do you show your projects to? I always show them to my mom!

Cook & Earn

What’s your favorite feature in Tynker? My favorite thing about Tynker is the “My Likes” section on the community. Because of that, I can easily find and play my favorite projects.

How do you think learning coding now might help you in the future? I think it will help me know how to program better.

Do you think other kids should try coding? I think other kids should try coding if they want to!

Yvon’s mom, Fenty, thinks it’s great that she is learning to code! In her words, “‘She always says to me, ‘It’s very interesting, I can make my own game!’”

Fenty gave us some insight into her experience with Yvon’s discovery of coding. She told us that when Yvon came to her with the Tynker app, she said, “Oh yes, Tynker is good for you! You can create with your own imagination.” She continued, telling us, “I really don’t know how it works, she tried by herself. We were very surprised when your email came!”

Coding is a fantastic way for kids to express themselves! As Fenty said of Yvon, “She can make her imagination into games!” Thanks for speaking with us, Yvon and Fenty – we can’t wait to see what Yvon codes up next.