How One Coding Class Shaped A Girl's Journey Into Technology

When Pheary Amarak Botrei walked into her first Sisters of Code class in 2019, she was just nine years old. At the time, she had little idea that one Saturday coding class would spark a passion that continues to shape her education and career aspirations today.

Nine-year-old Botrei in her first Sisters of Code class

Her father was the one who introduced her to the program. When she was accepted into the Sisters of Code Club, he bought her a laptop so she could learn and practice at home. Every Saturday, Botrei joined nine other students for two hours of coding lessons, where she was introduced to platforms like Code.org and Scratch.

Although she had used computers at school before, technology wasn't something she was deeply interested in.

"After two or three weeks, I realized coding was fun," she said. "That's when my interest in technology really grew."

Like many young learners, she was still finding her way. Her father often helped her complete assignments, and learning to use a computer confidently took time. But each class made her more curious, and that curiosity soon turned into a genuine love for technology.

"I would still choose to study technology over and over again," she said. "It makes me feel useful, and I enjoy learning without feeling pressured."

A Place to Learn and Belong

While Botrei learned technical skills such as Scratch, HTML/CSS, and WIX, one of the biggest changes happened outside the computer screen. As the youngest student in the classroom, she was often too shy to speak.

"I was afraid of embarrassing myself because everyone else was older than me," she recalled.

Fortunately, the learning environment made all the difference. Her club leader patiently guided students through each lesson, and her classmates welcomed her ideas and encouraged her to participate. Over time, she became more confident sharing her thoughts and asking questions.

A Foundation That Still Matters

Today, Botrei is a Grade 11 student at New Generation School and a Sisters of Code Ambassador 2026. Years after completing her first coding program, she continues to benefit from the foundation she built as a child.

Many of the topics she studies in school today, including Code.org and HTML/CSS, feel familiar because she learned them through Sisters of Code years earlier.

"The skills I learned are still useful today," she said. "They help me catch up with lessons more quickly."

Even after completing the coding club program in 2019, Botrei stayed connected to the Sisters of Code community by participating in alumni activities. This year, she returned as a student in the Sisters of Code Ambassadors Program 2026, a 15-week training-the-trainer program in coding and digital skills, to further strengthen her technical and leadership skills.

Botrei received a certificate of completion from the Sisters of Code Ambassadors Program 2026

Learning with AI While Thinking for Herself

As technology continues to evolve, Botrei has also started exploring artificial intelligence as a learning tool.

She regularly uses AI for self-study and to expand her ideas. During a recent school chemistry project, her team developed handmade candles to sell at school. She used ChatGPT to research ingredients, develop a marketing plan, and brainstorm product designs and promotional posters. She also watched online tutorials to learn better candle-making techniques before her team tested and improved their product.

For Botrei, AI is most valuable when it supports creativity rather than replaces it.

I see both opportunity and consequence in AI," she said. "It helps us work much more efficiently, but if we depend on it too much, we may lose our critical thinking skills."

Her advice to other students is simple: "Own your thinking and your work. Don't just copy everything AI gives you."

The Next Chapter

Botrei hopes to study Software Development in the future. She believes girls have an important role to play in shaping technology and wants to be part of that future.

Her journey began with one coding class at the age of nine. Today, she is a confident high school student, a Sisters of Code Ambassador, and a young woman who continues to build on the opportunities that first coding class gave her.

Sometimes, all it takes is one opportunity to change the direction of a young person's future. For Botrei, that opportunity began with a simple decision to join a coding class, and she is still discovering where it will lead.

Her story reflects the mission of Sisters of Code: to empower Cambodian girls with the confidence, digital skills, and opportunities they need to become active creators in the digital economy.

To learn more about Sisters of Code and stay informed about upcoming digital skills training opportunities for girls, visit the Sisters of Code website and follow the official Facebook page for the latest announcements.