As Told To Taryn Finley

Eden Wilson is a high school sophomore, Miss Chicago’s Outstanding Teen recipient in 2020, a gymnast and the founder of Lemonerdy, a virtual learning tool on YouTube she uses to teach people how to code, cook and more. At an early age, she showed a passion for breaking down barriers to learning for disenfranchised and vulnerable people. She has plans of attending an HBCU to study special education and computer science and eventually becoming a rhythmic gymnastics coach at the Special Olympics.

COVID-19 hit when I was in the eighth grade. My entire high school reality exists within the confines of a pandemic. So I really understand the importance and need for virtual learning spaces for everyone.

For me, 2022 started patiently waiting for the teachers strike in Chicago to end. In January, the city’s teachers union staged a walkout after the school district refused to honor the Chicago Teachers Union vote to return to virtual learning due to the inadequate safety measures in schools amid the omicron variant spike.

I go to a selective enrollment school, where conditions are a lot safer than some other schools. My brother’s school, for example, doesn’t have proper ventilation and the cleaning protocols necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s not fair to the teachers, students or their families. The strike is over now, but I think it was very necessary, especially for low-income schools.

I’ve always wanted to help others, but the pandemic has made me even more socially aware.

I’m really passionate about creating channels for marginalized people to gain access to technology for education, especially for those with disabilities. Everything is online now, and with the pandemic making way for more virtual spaces than ever, it’s essential that we create the pathway to accessibility.

In 2018, I created my brand and YouTube channel, Lemonerdy, to share my love for reading, cooking, coding and all the things I love. I made my first coding tutorial in December 2020 and ever since, they’ve gotten a lot of attention. I’ve gained over 2,000 subscribers since. It currently has more than tens of thousands of views. Kids from all over the world will message me telling me how much they like my videos, some even showing me projects they’ve coded for the first time.

Eden Wilson in her bedroom with a quilt made by her grandmother Callie Wilson.
David Daniel-Asher Wilson
Eden Wilson in her bedroom with a quilt made by her grandmother Callie Wilson.

It just makes me so happy that I have sparked someone’s imagination and sparked their interest and gotten them into coding and STEM, because it’s a field that not a lot of people of color are getting into. My students are from all around the world, and it just makes me so proud when I see them excited to start engaging in computer science.

My family has a huge entrepreneurial spirit. My parents and grandparents have all started their own businesses so they’re very supportive. At the same time, they think my plate is full — and it is, sometimes it can be stressful but I’m learning how to balance a bit more with the help of therapy. If I ever want to drop something, my parents would support that too. They just want to make sure that whatever I’m doing is enjoyable and is making me happy.

I plan on going to college to study special education and computer science after I graduate. I really want to attend an HBCU like North Carolina A&T or Howard because I want to be immersed in my own culture for as long as possible. First, I’d like to take a gap year. I have plans to compete in the summer Olympics and coach at the Special Olympics.

My love for both rhythmic gymnastics and special education made way for me to dream about coaching at the games. It’s truly inspiring to me. I think it’s important to uplift people with disabilities so I think it would be a really rewarding career. Our world is getting better at making things accessible for people with disabilities, but we still have a long way to go. I want to play my part in moving toward a solution. Serving other people is what inspires me. It’s what wakes me up in the morning and I want my career to be a reflection of that.

Through and through, I’m a proud, self-proclaimed nerd. It’s the coolest thing you can be. I like to think about solutions to problems. If I can create things that help others discover the power of education, too, then I feel my happiest.