I first met Stephen a couple of months after arriving in St. Louis.  I had just returned to the city after living in Iowa for several years and was trying to start another dojo after Iowa City.  My last dojo had been an amazing experience and I’d learned a lot about how to be a champion, but I was still apprehensive about the challenges a larger city would provide.  How do I reach anyone?  Who would support the dojo?  Where would I find volunteers?  Was anyone willing to take a chance on a CoderDojo?

So it was a miracle when I found Stephen.  I hadn’t been working at organizing for more than a month when I found out that there was this guy who was setting up a table at the Science Center once a month looking for volunteers to sign up for a dojo!  Who was this masked man??? He’d set up a website.  He was talking to sponsors.  What in the world…?

And that’s how I met Stephen.  He’s still one of my favorite people: if you haven’t had the chance to talk with him, you have missed out.  The first impression I had of him is this conundrum of soft-spokeness and passionate enthusiasm that I still have trouble emulating.  CoderDojoSTL wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.

So thank you, Stephen, from all of us at the dojo.