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July 21, 2015鈥擫ast fall, Klarizsa Padilla (C鈥�17) wanted to attend a meeting of the GU Computer and Electronics Club. When she arrived for the meeting, she was surprised to find only a guy in his dorm room. 鈥淚 walked in and said, 鈥楾his isn鈥檛 White-Gravenor, is it?鈥欌��

A new transfer student, Padilla had mistakenly entered a completely different building. Fortunately, 鈥淸the guy] actually walked me over to White Gravenor and told me if I needed to know where anything [else] was, I could find his floor,鈥� she remembered. 鈥淚 really appreciated that because it was a pretty embarrassing moment!鈥�

Now Padilla is the one helping others navigate campus. This summer, she is serving as a residential assistant for the , which brings high-achieving high school students from KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) and Cristo Rey schools around the country to DC for a three-week immersion experience. The high school students take college classes, live in residence halls, and receive mentorship from current Georgetown students.

This program is particularly important to Padilla because she participated in it herself as a high school student.

鈥淭he summer experience was really eye-opening for me because I hadn鈥檛 toured any colleges before then,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was also great because the mentors I had shared a wealth of information鈥�when I was considering transferring [to Georgetown]. That program was an incredible blessing.鈥�

When she speaks to her residents about her own Georgetown experience, Padilla focuses on describing the Jesuit values.

鈥淓specially when I talk to students who are visiting, I tell them about the things that really make [the university] unique,鈥� she explained. 鈥淕eorgetown does have great academics, but they also have these values that aren鈥檛 in every university. Inclusivity and diversity aren鈥檛 simply on the pamphlet鈥擺they鈥檙e] alive and well. You鈥檙e constantly surrounded by people who are so different from you, but you can recognize so much that鈥檚 alike as well.鈥�

In addition to counseling high school students, Padilla mentors her peers through . The group鈥檚 mission is to build digital literacy and encourage women to consider careers in technology. As a major, this mission is Padilla鈥檚 particular passion.

鈥淚 really enjoyed mentoring when I was able to help people with coding projects,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople would get so excited because they finally got something to work. That鈥檚 one of the best experiences as a computer science major, that 鈥楢h ha! This finally is doing what I want it to do!鈥欌��

Her computer science interest was born of another summer experience, this one through Google鈥檚 computer science summer institute, which she attended shortly after graduating from high school. On the first day, she wrote a code that made 鈥淗ello World鈥� appear on her laptop screen.

鈥淚t was the coolest experience ever!鈥� Padilla recalled. 鈥淣owadays, a lot of people wouldn鈥檛 have been so excited by seeing text on their laptops, but it was like, ‘I made that.’ I wanted to know what else I could make. I wanted to learn more.鈥�

鈥淚 was so fascinated by the creativity of it,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 thought programming would be sitting at a computer鈥�and not really having the opportunity to be creative, to be innovative. That is exactly the opposite of my view on computer science now. It鈥檚 probably one of the most creative majors, in that it is applicable across so many [areas]. You can use it to do so many different things.鈥�

On that note, in addition to her leadership role with GU Women Who Code, Padilla is using her computer science skills as a Google student ambassador, an app development intern with a tech start-up, a web editor for the department of , a member of the marketing committee with the , and by tutoring at a DC-area middle school.

She attributes her commitment to knowledge sharing to her parents, who are 鈥渧ery centered on the belief that when you鈥檝e been given an opportunity, it鈥檚 important to use that opportunity to help other people,鈥� she explained.

In addition, as one of eight kids, 鈥渁 lot of what I really value鈥揷ollaboration, supporting one another, embracing other people鈥揷omes from being in a big family.鈥�

That family has expanded to include many on the Hilltop.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 great about Georgetown is I鈥檝e found family in so many different areas on campus. Whether it was in the computer science department with professors who were interested in me and helping further my interests, [or] it was in the , which [supported me] when I was not really sure how to navigate certain things. I definitely have found a second home at Georgetown.鈥�