Janka Gal, World Traveler

11-27-2017

Writer(s): Kristyn Childres

Janka Gal, a senior in computer science, spent her junior year abroad in Freiburg, Germany. She took classes that will count towards her second major, German, as well as a class on operating systems.

She also interned at highQ, a small software engineering company. At highQ, all communication with her coworkers was in German. Janka said, “The language added a layer of complexity since I’m less confident speaking in German. Sometimes, when I had questions, I had to look up how to ask them, and when my mentor told me how to do something, it was challenging to make sure I understood everything that was said.”

“I grew as a person during my time in Germany – now I feel more confident and self-assured," she said. "I held my own when speaking a different language and I learned to navigate through airports, cities and countries.”

At Purdue, Janka was named the Outstanding Freshman in Computer Science during her first year. She served as a mentor for MAGIC (Mentoring Aspiring Girls in Computing) and helped found BoilerCode, an annual workshop for middle school and high school students.

Janka said, “I am very passionate about teaching K-12 students, and especially girls, about computer science. I didn’t really know computer science was an option until my junior year in high school, so I want to show those students that it’s something they can pursue. Both MAGIC and BoilerCode have allowed me to reach out and mentor younger students. I love working with students and seeing their eyes light up when they figure out how to solve a problem.”