Meet the Princess

After she made sure that they all understood what was displayed on the board through the projector, she switched off the projector and turned the socket off.

"So that's all for today," Audriana said and began packing her books and laptop from the table she put them on.

"Okay Miss"

"Your assignment is to create a portfolio website. Simple but elegant, if you know what I mean,” she explained to them and what details they could add too.

“When you are done with it, make sure to submit it to the school portal under the computer science department before Friday, no copying. You guys are very talented and I want you to express yourself in this project, okay?" she said.

"Yes, Miss Audri" the class chorused.

"See you in the next class," she said.

"And you too," they replied.

She walked out of the class to her office.

Audriana Loveth Bernard is the only child of Kingsley Bernard the CEO of Bernard Tech and Moana Bernard a fashion designer in Brooklyn, New York. Audriana was a Senior Web Developer at Bernard Tech and is also a lecturer teaching Web Development and Designs at Teslundo University.

She is loved by everyone, so calm, easy-going, beautiful, smart, and has a good sense of humor.

Her tech journey started when she was eleven years old, she could remember when her dad was working on the Fintech Application project, he and his colleagues were building at the time he was a Senior Developer at Chesaer & Deasher Tech.

Chesaer & Deasher was a company that created security for many companies that need their data secured and well managed.

There was a day she came back from school and went to her dad’s little office to greet him as usual but his mind and soul were in what he was doing that he didn't realize that she was at the door watching him. When she asked him what he was doing, he explained to her and after much persuasion from her, he gave in and taught her the basics (HTML).

From learning how to make simple websites with HTML to learning how to add designs and styles to her websites. She helped her dad with a few basic projects too.

She created her first portfolio website at age twelve, and when she advanced, she added more features to the website.

Her dad encouraged her to join a tech club if there was one in her school, just so that she can be in the midst of developers her age, and in case he can't be there when she is trying to fix bugs, she can reach out to the head of the club or other colleagues for help.

When she got into middle school, she joined the Tech club called 'Tech & Web' and was not surprised that she was the only girl from both high and middle school in the club.

In their school club, they managed the school data, and websites and also taught new members. It was quite easy for her, mainly because of her base in basic programming languages.

Her dad had educated her on what to face in the tech world as a lady. He told her not very many women are interested in tech, but the few that are interested are sometimes encouraged and most times discouraged.

It has caused some to give up and the others that didn't care are making names in the tech industry, like Filia Demusyt the co-founder of Demusyt Foundation. A foundation that teaches young students on programming, Daniella Menturi the founder and CEO of Mona Tech, a FinTech Company, and so many other successful women.

He was talking from what he had seen and didn't want his daughter to be discouraged by whatever anyone will say to her. She remembers all the advice her dad gives her:

"Baby girl if being a developer is what you want then so be it.” he held her hand as he talked to her.

“Never let anyone pressure you so much that you feel like you don't need to do what you love doing, remember the women I tell you about?” she nods her head and he continued.

“They are making names in the tech world, they love it and are going for it. They have faced a lot of adversaries but that didn't stop them so don’t let the words of others stop you, be the successful developer you want to be, okay?"

“Thank you, dad,” she said …

Audriana was blessed to not only have a Teacher/Mentor in a father but also a supporter.

She did want to be successful in her tracks like those women, she wanted to create solutions to problems. She admired those women and followed them up, went to meet up with her dad, and did coding classes in school.

In school, some of the popular girls did pick on her by calling her names like nerd, spod, dweep, dork, and other words but she didn't care because she knew what she wanted and was going for it with full force.

Her dad had been working at Chesaer & Deasher for almost seven years until they started experiencing financial issues and decided to lay off most of their workers and her dad was one of the workers that were laid off.

She was fifteen at that time and encouraged her dad to start up something. Thankfully, he embraced her advice and created a security platform that detects any form of scam, fraud, and so on. Her dad recruited a few people to be in their little team till they grew to be a bigger company.

Audriana learned new languages and created an application designed for the low vision community called 'See'.

She didn't know it had gone viral not until she and her parents went shopping and a man beside them opened an App on his phone and the lady programmed to help the users said aloud, 'Welcome to See'.

She couldn't believe it and told her Mum about it, her Mum went to the play store App to check it out and saw it there, she opened the App and it worked well, she was excited and decided to work on it, to make it perfect with the help of her dad.

Hence, Bernard Tech was birthed eleven years ago. Audriana and her dad got lots of support from other tech industries and investors, everyone was amazed at the fact that a fifteen-year-old could create something so great.

That was her process, and she enjoyed it to the fullest. She worked in Bernard Tech as a Junior Developer for two years and a Senior Developer for four years, making a total of six years before she retired to Lecture at the present University she Lectures at.

Her mum was proud of her too.

She owns a foundation that teaches kids, teens, and adults about web development, design, and many more Technologies.

Audriana is seated on the black leather chair in her office, in front of her is a desktop assigned to every office in the University, and there are books arranged neatly on her table.

Her laptop is by the side of the desktop and she is working on the project her dad sent to her. He still sends her projects to work on to be better than she was before.

She heard a knock on the door and answered 'come in'.

"Hey there, beautiful," says the red-haired man that came in.

Audriana lifts her head and gave him a small smile before focusing her gaze back on her laptop.

"Hi, Philip" she greets him.

"You're busy," he said, already obvious to it.

"Yes, as you can see" she confirmed as she gestured to her laptop in front of her.

"I see," he said and sat on the chair in front of her.

She continued with what she was doing while Philip stares at the beauty in front of him.

Philip Cooper is a Chemistry Lecturer and has been eyeing and flirting with Audriana since he became a staff in the University the previous year, he has asked her out so many times, to which she gave him the same answer. 'NO'.

But that didn't stop Philip from pestering her, she sees him as funny but annoying and she sometimes enjoys his company.

"Why don't you give me a chance to prove how much I like you, don't you feel the chemistry between us, because I can feel it," he said.

Same thing he has been telling her since he met her.

"Maybe you feel it because you teach Chemistry" she answered him.

"C'mon, I like you a lot, just give me a chance, one date and you'll decide if you want us to move ahead."

She looked away from her laptop screen and looked at him.

"No Philip, please try to understand"

"Understand what?" he asked and sighed "Sorry for being persistent but I just want to know something"

"Will you leave me alone if I answer?"

"Well, for now, just to know I am not wasting my time, do you maybe have someone in mind to date? A partner? An ex you can’t get over?" he asked

A crease forms on her forehead when she looks up at him.

“Why do you think so?” she asked.

“You wouldn’t date me neither have I seen you hanging out with any man,” he said then thought for a while as a little furrow stayed on his brows. “I think I saw you with a blonde man one-time, you aren’t dating him?” he asked.

“None of your business,” she told him.

“It will be since I am interested in you” he insists.

“Philip, please take your leave, I’m busy,” she said then went back to her work.

“I’m sorry if it sounded like I was prying,” he took her hand in his and was going to bring them to his lips for a kiss but she withdrew them “I like you a lot and want more of you, everything of you”

“I’m busy Philip,” she told him with a smile and he sighs.

“Okay then, I’ll see you later” he stood to his feet and left her office.

“Funny man” she commented then continued with her work.

Time passed and she paused to take a short break when she got a notification on her phone, she checked and saw that it was a message from her dad who needed her presence at him tonight.