Computer Science teacher Austin Onwudachi’s passion for teaching began 14 years ago, when he transitioned from long hours in a small cubicle to interactive lectures at high schools and community colleges. He has worked in various school districts, including LAUSD, CUSD and VUSD. However, his journey as a coder began far earlier.
As any kid would, Onwudachi’s interest for computers stemmed from playing video games.
“I did not want to be in a field where I only sat at the desk, or did a lot of IT help desk type of work, or even become an IT director,” Onwudachi said. “I was more into entertainment and game design. So my goal was to become a video game designer. That entails a lot of things, like storytelling, graphics, design and programming. So I took a couple of those classes, and that was the path I went into, trying to become a game designer.”
After getting his undergraduate degree in computer science from Cal State Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and two masters degrees, one MBA from Loyola Marymount University and one MPA from CSUDH, Onwudachi transitioned to a government job in federal defense. In this job, he worked as a contract specialist, drawing up contracts with big companies such as Boeing. However, he was drawn to the career of teaching for various reasons.
“I did not like working the whole nine to five thing,” Onwudachi said. “My parents are retired educators, and I saw the flexible lifestyle that they lived. Also, I’ve always been the type of person to teach. I was always teaching my colleagues, teaching my siblings, even teaching my parents. And so I said, ‘Okay, I can turn this into a career.’”
At Oak Park High School, Onwudachi looks forward to sharing his craft and teaching what he knows best. His favorite subject to teach is AP Computer Science Principles.
“I think it’s one of the things that I started off teaching first. I think it’s easier, you know, not a whole lot of programming involved. And it actually helps my students make that decision on whether they want to pursue a career in computer science or not.”
Onwudachi approaches learning from a hands-on perspective, and he does so through project-based learning.
“Project-based learning is hands-on,” Onwudachi said. “I try to be more practical than just applying theory. How does this work in the lab? How does this work right in the field? I think that’s how people should learn.”
Outside of teaching, Onwudachi also pursues his own personal projects. One of the many endeavors he took upon himself was starting his foundation: Igotcoderz.
“Igotcoderz was a part-time project that I wanted to take on, and it is an online academy, where adults, anyone, any student who was interested could learn about computer science,” Onwudachi said. “We also expanded to CTE pathways.”
Onwudachi recognizes that not all stories are linear and that there is no “formula” for success. Rather, he encourages students to create their own unique experiences to discover their passions.
“This is what I tell my students. You guys are getting older, you’re growing up, and some of you may change your majors three or four times in college, until you get to that certain age and you tell yourself, okay, this is the career path I want to pursue. I never wanted to pursue becoming an educator. That was not the dream, that was not the goal. I wanted to graduate, work in the IT field, and retire. Look where I’m at now and I love it.”
