Class of 2026: Ivy Brundege went from coding camp to computer science

Name: Ivy Brundege

Colleges: College of Engineering and College of Science

Majors: Computer Science and Computational Neuroscience

Hometown: Nederland, Colorado

Plans after graduation: Pursuing a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University starting in August

Favorite Hokie memory: “Spring break with Outdoor Club last year! We travelled down to Damascus for a week to do some work on the Appalachian Trail after damage from the hurricane. Lots of digging and moving trees, staying in cabins in the area, cooking meals with everyone, and swimming in the creek.”

When Department of Computer Science Outstanding Senior Ivy Brundege arrived at Virginia Tech, she loved science and math and wanted a degree that would open doors. Then came the first day of computer science class.

“The guy next to me was already coding something,” Brundege said. “In hindsight, it probably was not that big of a deal, but I did not know what I was doing at all. And it looked like he was building the next Google.”

Brundege’s experiences with computers were limited to a coding camp in elementary school and a high school–issued Chromebook. Meanwhile, the students around her were debating programming languages and discussing concepts that felt entirely unfamiliar.

“I decided at that point, I have got to get out,” she said. “This is not for me.”

But then her first computer science instructor, Allyson Senger, said something that stayed with her.

“This is hard,” Senger said to the class. “If you do not get it right away, that is normal.”

As a student, Senger said she had the same doubts that Brundege did.

“That is how I was in my first programming class,” Senger said. “I was thinking that I had no idea what was going on.”

Today, Senger stresses to students that her class is designed for beginners. What matters, she tells them, is putting in the work to learn and practice.

With support from Department of Computer Science faculty members, including Senger and Collegiate Associate Professor Sally Hamouda, Brundege gradually built confidence.

“By the end of freshman year, I decided I was not going to switch out of computer science,” Brundege said.

Coding to build community

Coming to Virginia Tech from the small town of Nederland, Colorado, Brundege did not know anyone when she arrived in Blacksburg. As one of the few women in many of her classes, she noticed there were others who felt isolated too.

Brundege decided to do something about it. During her freshman year, she launched a chapter of the nonprofit Girls Who Code at Virginia Tech.

Professor of Practice Margaret Ellis connected Brundege with graduate students and helped recruit members. Senger later became the club’s faculty advisor.

Today, Girls Who Code has about 450 students on its email list and draws dozens of participants to meetings, workshops, hackathons, and professional development events. Many of Brundege’s closest friends are people she met through the organization.

“I started this as a freshman, as someone who felt like I need more confidence in this, I need more community in this,” she said. “Now I have those things, and I get to extend that to the next generation.”

At a recent conference for women in computing, Brundege found herself mentoring younger Virginia Tech students, helping them navigate internships, research opportunities, and life in computer science.

“I know exactly how you feel,” she said. “I have been there.”

From code to cortex

This fall, Brundege will begin a Ph.D. program in computational neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, where she plans to combine computational modeling with experimental neuroscience research.

The student who once worried she did not belong in computer science is now preparing for a future in which she uses math, computer models, and simulations to figure out how the brain works.

Her advice to students who feel intimidated is simple: Do not wait until you feel ready.

“A lot of these things you learn through doing them,” Brundege said. “It might feel like everyone else knows what they are doing, but that is either because they have gone through that experience before, or maybe they are faking it a little bit, and that is okay.”

“If you are interested in it, try it,” Brundege said. “This is not an innate skill you have. It is something you build over time.”