Engage. Inspire. Thrive.

This week we met Emma Sona, a software engineer at Capital One. Emma, thankfully for Fairfax County Public Schools, is a volunteer. This spring she’s supporting students at the home of the Hornets, Herndon Middle School, where, every week, Emma takes time from her busy workday to teach students coding during an after-school program.   

Emma is one of about 100 Capital One associates who volunteer to support student learning at six of our Middle Schools through Capital One Coders, a program originally hatched in Virginia and now an international one reaching over 20,000 students.   

Capital One Coders is a workforce development program in every sense. Capital One needs employees with specific skills. Students need specific skills to move into certain careers. The Coders program is also in line with Capital One’s Impact Initiative, created to advance socioeconomic mobility by advocating for an inclusive society, building thriving communities, and creating financial tools that enrich lives. It is fueled by an initial $200 million multi-year commitment in community grants to catalyze economic growth in low- and moderate-income communities and close gaps in equity and opportunity.  

But this is a story about one volunteer, Emma Sona -- why she does it, how and who it helps, and the impact of her reach.

Emma started her career with Capital One in August 2019 after coming to the region from St. Louis with a degree in Computer Science.  She came with a passion to work with students - born of her time connecting with young people as a counselor at a camp for youth with special needs. Her connections with students turned to passion and then her passion helped her grow professionally.  “Through the Coders program, I’ve gotten better at explaining tech to people who may not be technical. Not everyone I work with is technical, so teaching coding has helped me become better at my job.” 

She’s inspiring others to grow, too. Emma recalled a story of one girl who at the start of the 10-week coding program was “super quiet.” By the end, “her confidence in coding gave her the confidence to present her project to her peers and all the Capital One mentors.”   

Over the last two years, Emma has supported students who attend Holmes, Key, and Herndon Middle Schools, as well as some who participated in summer offerings. In every case, Emma recognizes that her gender also is a positive influencer.  With the tech industry still predominantly hiring men, a female role model helps bust myths. “I know that not every student we mentor will go into computer science, but everyone I know who enters the tech field found getting a job super easy.” Thriving, Sona adds, takes many forms, and no matter the course a student ultimately takes, there’s value in the effort. “Tech is involved in almost every job and in so many things we do day to day.” 

Engage. Inspire. Thrive. These are verbs from Fairfax County Public Schools tagline that truly resonate throughout our partnership with Capital One.    

Thank you, Emma, and all of Capital One’s supportive and professional volunteers. You are appreciated.