Dr. Crystal Hess (she) is a mom, educator, and student who is constantly pushing limits in all aspects of her life.

Crystal has been coding since 1997 and has been a Computer Science educator since 2004. She is passionate about educational equity, community building, and focusing on how we learn over what we learn.

Crystal has 20 years of teaching and leadership experience spanning multiple contexts, including secondary education, adult retraining, and higher education. Crystal believes justice, community-centered collaboration, innovation, and learning should be pillars of organizational development. Crystal loves working and teaching in her local community. She believes that Computer Science should be fun to learn since it's fun to teach!

Crystal holds a Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership through Seattle University with a focus on Community Advocacy and Social Justice, a Masters in Information Systems Management, and a Bachelors in Computer Science. Crystal has been a National Board Certified Teacher since 2010 and earned her Certified Diversity Executive credentials in 2023.

Snapshot:

• Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership: Community Advocacy and Social Justice at Seattle University
• NBCT and CDE credentials
• Tenured Professor of Computer Science at Shoreline Community College (tenured Winter 2020; teaching since Fall 2017)
• Multiple stints as an educational administrator; each during times of necessary innovation, learning, and growth
• 2.5 years leading and teaching at Ada Developers Academy
• 10 years teaching at Tahoma High School

Some notable accomplishments include:

• Developing and facilitating professional development workshops related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in a variety of formats
• Building and growing CS programs in various contexts: high school, adult retraining bootcamp, community college
• Writing and sharing CS curriculum with CS teachers across the nation
• Founding the PSCSTA high school programming contest scene which served hundreds of students annually
• Founding the social justice curriculum at Ada Developers Academy reaching students, advisory board members, and industry mentors and managers
• Directing program vision, growth, and changes at Ada Developers Academy during their "startup phase" tripling employees and doubling students served
• Volunteering around the world, including: an orphanage in Kenya; an AIDS support clinic in Peru; a wildlife rescue center in Thailand; local at-risk youth centers in Austin, TX and Seattle, WA; and with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; among others.

For a more detailed picture of experience: linkedin/crystaljhess

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." — Maya Angelou