"So that's all for today," Audriana said and began packing her books and laptop.
"Okay Miss"
"So your assignment is to create a portfolio website. Simple but elegant, if you know what I mean. When you are done with it do submit it to the school portal under the computer science department before Friday, no copying. You guys are very talented and I want you to express yourself in this project, okay?" she said.
"Yes, Miss Audri" the class chorused.
"See you in the next class," She said
"And you too" they replied.
She walked out of the class to her office.
Audriana Loveth Bernard is the only child of Kingsley Bernard the CEO of Bernard Tech and Moana Bernard a fashion designer in Brooklyn, New York. Audriana is a Senior Web Developer at Bernard Tech and is also a lecturer teaching Web Development and Design at Teslundo University.
She is loved by everyone. So calm easy-going, beautiful, smart, has a good sense of humor.
Her Tech journey started when she was eleven years old, her Dad was working on a Fintech Application he was building for a company, at that time he was a Senior Developer at Chesaer & Deasher Tech.
Chesaer & Deasher was a company that created security for many companies that need their data secured and well managed.
She came back from school one day and went to her Dad's little office to see him. His mind and soul were in what he was doing that he didn't realize his princess was at the door watching him.
When she asked him what he was doing, he explained to her and taught her the basics (HTML) when she kept on persuading him to teach her. From Learning how to make simple websites with HTML to learning how to add designs and styles to her websites. She helped her dad with a few basic projects.
She created her first portfolio website at age twelve, and when she advanced she added more features to the site.
Her Dad encouraged her to join a tech club if there was one in her school, just so she can be in the midst of developers her age, and in case he can't be there when she is trying to fix bugs, she can reach out to the head of the club or other colleagues. So when she got into middle school, she joined the Tech club 'Tech & Web' and was not surprised that she was the only girl from both high and middle school that was in the club.
In their school club, they managed the school data, websites and also taught new members. It was quite easy on her because of her base in basic programming languages.
Her Dad has educated her on what to face in the tech world as a lady. He told her not very many women are interested in tech, but the few that are interested are sometimes encouraged and most times discouraged. It has caused some to give up and the others that didn't care are making names in the tech industry, like Filia Demusyt the co-founder of Demusyt Foundation. A foundation that teaches young students on programming, Daniella Menturi the founder and CEO of Mona Tech, a FinTech Company and so many other successful women.
He was talking from what he had seen and didn't want his daughter to be discouraged by whatever anyone will say to her. She remembers all the advice her Dad gives her:
"Baby girl if being a Developer is what she wants then so, be it. Never let anyone pressure you that you feel you don't need to do what you love doing, Remember the women I tell you about? They are making names, they love it and are going for it. they have faced a lot of adversaries but that didn't stop them. Don't let the words of others stop you, be the successful Developer you want to be, okay?"
She was blessed to not only have a Teacher/Mentor in a Father but also a supporter.
She did want to be like them, she wanted to create solutions to problems. She admired those women and followed them up, went for meet-ups with her Dad, coding classes in school.
In school, some of the popular girls did pick on her calling her names like Nerd, Spod, Dweep, Dork, and other words but she didn't care because she knew what she wanted.
Her Dad had been working at Chesaer & Deasher for almost seven years until they started experiencing financial issues and decided to lay off most of their workers. Her Dad was one of the workers that were laid off.
She was 15 at that time and encouraged her Dad to start up something, and he embraced her advice and created a security platform that detects any form of scam, fraud, and so on. Her Dad recruited a few people to be in their little team.
Audriana learned new languages and created an application designed for the low vision community 'See'.
She didn't know it had gone viral until she and her parents went shopping and a man beside them opened an App on his phone and the lady programmed to help the users said aloud, 'Welcome to See'.
She couldn't believe herself and told her Mum about it, her Mum went to the play store App to check it out and saw it on there, she opened the App and it worked, she was excited and decided to work on it, to make it perfect with the help of her Dad.
Hence Bernard Tech was birthed eleven years ago. Audriana and her Dad got lots of supports from other tech industries and investors, everyone was amazed at the fact that a fifteen-year-old could create something so great.
That was her process, and she enjoyed it to the fullest. She worked in Bernard Tech as a junior Developer for two years and a Senior Developer for four years, making a total of six years before she started to Lecture at Teslundo University.
Her mum who is totally lost in the Tech world was proud of her daughter.
She owns a foundation that teaches Kids, Teens, Adults on Web Development, designs, and many more Technologies.
Audriana is seated on the black leather chair in her office, in front of her is a desktop assigned to every office in the University, there are books arranged neatly on her table. Her laptop is by the side of the Desktop working on the project her Dad sent to her, he still sends her projects to work on to be better than she was before.
She heard a knock on the door and answered 'come in'.
"Hey there beautiful," says the red-haired man that came into Audriana's office.
Audriana lifts her head and gave him a small smile.
"Hi Philip" she replied to him.
"You're busy?"
"Yes, as you can see" she gestured to her laptop in front of her.
"I see," he said and sat on the chair in front of her.
She continued with what she was doing while Philip stares at the beauty in front of him.
Philip Cooper is a Chemistry Lecturer and has been eyeing and flirting with Audriana since he became a staff in the University the previous year, he has asked her out so many times, to which she gave him the same answer. 'NO'.
But that didn't stop Philip from pestering her, she sees him as funny but annoying. She sometimes enjoys his company.
"Why don't you give me a chance to prove how much I like you, don't you feel the chemistry between us, because I can feel it," he said.
Same thing he has been telling her since he met her.
"Maybe you feel it because you teach Chemistry" she answered him.
"C'mon, I like you a lot, just give me a chance one date and you'll decide if you want us to move ahead."
"She looked away from her laptop screen and looked at him.
"No Philip, please try to understand"
"Understand what?" he asked and sighed "Sorry for being persistent but I just want to know something"
"Will you leave me alone if I answer?"
"Well for now, just to know I am not wasting my time, are you gay?"
Audriana's eyes widen in what looked like shock, or anger. Philip thought.
"Really? because I didn't accept your offer you came to a conclusion that I am gay?" she asked.
"Sorry, I was just wondering maybe you are scared to come out. but it's totally fine."
"Look if I was, I would boldly come out but you assuming just because I refused your offers many times is not nice, please leave"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to off--"
"You didn't offend me, but I need you to please leave Philip," She said.
He got up and sighed then turned to leave.
"Okay, okay I will"
"Thank you"
He left and she could concentrate on her work.
She was halfway done with it when she saw a message from her Dad, she opened it and he asked for her immediate appearance at home.