Today’s post is all about KaMar Galloway. Read on!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix, to be exact) and was very much into music as a kid. My dad owns Galloway's Record Shop on the island, so I listened to a ton of reggae, soca, and dancehall music in the house. My switch from music to technology came in high school when I took my first computer science class. Fast forward four years and one victory lap year of studying computer science at NC State, and now I am at Google working as a Program Manager.
What’s your role at Google?
My title is Program Manager, but I tell everyone that I am an informal computer science teacher. At Google, I, along with several other amazing people, created the Google CS First program that teaches students how to tell their own stories and design their own games through code. The coolest project to date has to be my involvement in the Google collaboration project with Chance the Rapper.
What inspires you to come in every day?
Randomly running into people that know my team's work is super inspiring. There's been situations where I've walked into a classroom and students have recognized me from my appearances in CS First videos. It's so cool to see them make the connection that real people who look like me are actively designing and creating with technology.
Can you tell us about your decision to enter the process?
I was interested in Google because of the professional but casual culture that the company embodies. Google is constantly in the top 3 companies to work for every year. I also taught computer science to middle-school boys while in college, so I felt equipped to apply for a role as a Computer Science Teaching Fellow.
How did the recruitment process go for you?
Days before graduating, a good friend shared with me an application to a Computer Science Teaching Fellowship (now known as CSSI). I had no clue what it was all about, but I decided to apply since I didn't have any offers on the table. I don't know how confident I was that I’d get the role, but I was extremely confident in what I knew and how my unique experiences helped me learn how to code.
Can you tell us about the resources you used to prepare for your interview or role?
I reviewed all of the CS-based lessons I taught to my middle-school boys and organized them by the impact they had on my students. This prepared me to speak on specific situations and key learnings during the interview process.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share with aspiring Googlers?
Identify the thing that uniquely makes you the person you are today and bring that to the table each and every day.
Interested in CSSI? Head to the CSSI site to learn more and apply today!