JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ania Wilson, a Jacksonville native and Engineer and Freelance Designer, is on a mission to inspire young people—especially underrepresented groups—to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
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Wilson, an alum of Paxon School for Advanced Studies, is among the 9% of Black women working in STEM fields. Fluent in programming languages like C++, she’s turning her passion into a platform for inclusion.
While speaking with News4JAX, she provided insight into where her interest in STEM began, citing her parents' background as one of the primary reasons.
“I come from a STEM-heavy family,” Wilson shared. “My mom is in education, and my dad is an engineer. So, engineering felt like the right field for me.”
Wilson’s path solidified during her freshman year at Florida A&M University.
“I didn’t take my first computer science class until college,” she said. “It’s important for students to be exposed to STEM at an early age.”
To make STEM education accessible, Wilson wrote C Plus Me: Byta Bot’s C++ Kickstart Guide. The book targets kids aged 8 to 10 but is adaptable for older learners and even adults.
“It breaks programming into practical, fun, and engaging steps,” she explained. “I’ve even had 40-year-olds tell me they’re learning C++ with my book.”
Working in STEM can feel intimidating, Wilson admits, but she wants others to know it’s achievable. Her goal is to demystify programming and make the field more inclusive for everyone.