#CodingLabStudents: Sanya Gudi, SheHacks 2025 Winner!
Here is Sanya, our bright #CodingLabStudent and winner of SheHacks 2025!
Meet Sanya Gudi, a bright young coder with a passion for technology, creativity and making a difference!
At just 12 years old, she’s already achieved an incredible milestone – winning SheHacks 2025, a prestigious girls-only hackathon that celebrates innovation and problem-solving.
Read on as we get to know more about her coding journey, her winning project, and what drives her forward!
Congratulations on winning SheHacks 2025! How did it feel to achieve this milestone?
My experience has been meaningful to me. Not only was it my first time going to a competition related to coding, but it was also the first time I ever got the top prize in a competition! I felt proud as it was an indicator of my hard work in learning how to code.
“Coding Lab has supported me through my whole coding journey, making it enjoyable while teaching me so much about programming. I love that we code a range of different things, from App Inventor to Python, and that there’s always a target goal. Teacher Lakshmi especially made class fun and helped build my confidence – not just as a coder, but as a person.”
What were the key lessons you learned during the competition?
There were so many workshops that I learnt from SheHacks. I learnt how to design an app on Figma, a collaborative design tool. I learnt how to create different screens for the app, and how to connect each screen. This was an important lesson, because when presenting an app, you have to show what it would look like if you created it. Figma was easy to use, and functional.
Another key lesson I learnt was how to make your app more unique, so it attracts more attention and users. SheHacks gave us suggestions based on our app, and how to make it more unique. I also learned different coding tips on how to make the app more unique.
Sanya and her teammates with their awards at SheHacks 2025 - congratulations once again!
Tell us how you first got started with coding.
I was about 7 or 8, when my class teacher was running a coding activity in school. It was too late for me to sign up, so I told my parents I wanted to join a coding club. From there, my interest in coding grew.
Later on, when my previous coding class closed, we searched for a place that would nurture my passion and make learning fun. That’s how I found Coding Lab.The structured lessons, wide range of platforms like App Inventor and Python, and strong foundational support really helped me improve and explore more!
I have had so many amazing teachers in coding lab, but I want to thank teacher Lakshmi for supporting me through my journey. She makes class extremely fun, but she explains the code in a way that my age level can understand. When she is explaining, she finds one of my interests, and uses that to connect to the code. I want to thank her because she was the one who built my confidence as not only a coder, but a person. She has always supported me, and never put me down.
Sanya and her teammates presenting to the judges at SheHacks 2025!
What do you like about coding? How has coding made a difference in your life?
I like that coding can be used in many different ways, to create apps, games, and even program AI and robots. Coding has made a difference in my life by improving my problem solving skills, and making me think outside the box. When debugging, it is hard to find what our problem is, like in real life when we have a problem. Coding helps me view things in a different perspective.
What are you coding right now? Any exciting future coding projects or dream projects that you want to mention?
I would like to create an app to help boost confidence for everyone, including women. I have always been somewhat pessimistic when it comes to doing stressful things, but I would like to create an app that helps you manage stressful times and boost your confidence.
“Coding has made a difference in my life by improving my problem-solving skills and helping me think outside the box. Debugging reminds me of real life – it’s hard to find the problem at first, but with a different perspective, you can always figure it out.”
Sanya doing Bharatnatyam, a form of Indian classical dance!
Why do you think learning to code is so important, especially for women?
Coding is important to learn, as with AI and our technology growing everyday, there is always going to be something new that we discover. Women and men minds are not alike. With more women in the coding field, they can create websites and apps to help resonate with women.
Apart from coding, what are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
I like doing Bharatnatyam, a form of Indian classical dance. I also play the viola and basketball!
What are your future aspirations? What do you want to be when you grow up?
When I grow up, I want to work in Google. Google is a platform that over millions of people use everyday, and I want balance out the gender field when it comes to working in big companies, so that some of the women get credit for all the hard work they do.
Thank you, Sanya, for all your insightful answers. We wish you all the best and hope to see you at Google in the future!
Lastly, what advice would you give to other girls who want to participate in prestigious competitions like this?
Some advice I would give is that you need to believe in yourself, and not compare yourself to others. During SheHacks, I found myself looking over at other people’s screens, trying to see what they were doing. But, you never know whether you might win or not. Don’t let the number of girls or boys in a competitions discourage you, because you never know how many people you might inspire when you just go for it.
With her creativity, confidence, and drive to make a difference, Sanya Gudi continues to inspire us all. We’re so proud to be a part of her coding journey and can’t wait to see the amazing things she’ll create in the future. Keep up the great work, Sanya – and continue to dream big and code on! 💻🌟
Our #CodingLabStudents blogs feature our ambitious students and their ongoing coding journeys – be it the budding coder or advanced Python Pro, we appreciate each and every single one’s efforts as they progress to greater heights. 🌱
Coding Lab offers an award-winning curriculum specially for ages 5 to 18 – check out our courses to begin your own coding journey today!
Read Next: #CodingLabStudents: Alex Morrison, 16, A1 for GCE ‘O’ Level Computing
Read Next: #CodingLabStudents: Isaac Guan Bozhang, HCIC 2024 Platinum Winner
Read Next: #CodingLabStudents: Ong Zi Xun, HCIC 2024 Bronze Winner