The Creation of Hetty and Sparking Interest in Coding

Dr. Félina Hermans created Hetty, a novel programming language designed to teach coding. Her interest in coding began as a child when she played on her family's computer and discovered basic computer games. Through trial and error, she learned to make the computer do what she wanted, sparking her lifelong love for coding. While she pursued an academic and professional career in programming, there were moments when she questioned her passion. However, her experiences as a teacher and a researcher led her to develop Hetty as a way to address the learning struggles faced by young students. By simplifying syntax and gradually introducing concepts, Hetty aims to make programming more accessible and enjoyable for beginners.