Godiva Golding is the true example of a multi-hyphenate; she is a tech enthusiast, content development wizard, passionate nation-builder and Miss St Catherine Festival Queen 2016.

Among her list of accomplishments is her role as CEO and founder of STEAM House Network, the company she passionately leads. It’s an education hub for science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM) learning in Jamaica.

“STEAM House introduces project-based learning activities and strategies to children and we focus on teaching robotics and coding,” Golding told Digital Life.

With the mantra “the creators of tomorrow, make the creators of today”, the company prides itself on teaching children how to solve problems in a real-world context. Its CEO hopes to equip children between the ages of seven to 13 with the skills for a future technology world. This age group is significant as they are at the stage that facilitates brain-based learning where they can absorb and retain information faster and apply this knowledge to the rest of their growth. An early introduction to STEAM allows children and parents to understand alternative possibilities for their career path. Gone are the days when careers were limited primarily to doctors and lawyers; there is a future in STEAM, and Golding is here to chart that path.

“[It is unfortunate] when we have children exiting high school [at] 16 and never touching a computer, never realising that Facebook and WhatsApp and all these tools they are already using, they are able to create them as well and understand the technologies. [They do not realise that] they are not just consumers of it but makers of it,” Golding added.

The University of the West Indies, Mona graduate’s accomplishments include being a member of the World Economic Forum-initiated Global Shapers Community and, locally, receiving the Prime Minister’s Youth Award. However, the accomplishment that stands out most is her being named Miss St Catherine Festival Queen of 2016. This role, she said, allowed her to serve her parish and wider community, and it has offered the most opportunity for personal growth. It influenced her to refocus her vision of STEAM House to make it more service-based so children with limited resources may still access opportunities.

Golding sees her role as connecting students in rural parts of the country to opportunities that are not easy for them to access because of their geographical location. “Ten years ago you wouldn’t have Jamaicans who live in Jamaica working at companies like Google or WordPress or Asana. Our opportunities are increasing so we don’t have to leave Jamaica,” she said.

For individuals looking to get into the tech industry in Jamaica, Golding advises them to share where they are in their journey, research and commit.