#CodingLabStudents: Paden Wong, 12, Gold Award Winner, HCIC 2025
Meet Paden Wong, our amazing #CodingLabStudent who loves coding, bouldering, tennis and reading is now a proud Gold award winner at HCIC 2025!
At just 12 years old, Paden Wong from Qifa Primary School has already made remarkable strides in his coding journey. His curiosity, creativity, and determination recently led him to win the Gold Award at the Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge HCIC 2025.
His enthusiasm for coding, love of puzzles, and drive to explore the world of technology have shaped him into a young innovator ready for any challenge. His dedication shows that coding is not just about skill but also about heart and resilience. Read on more to find out about Paden’s coding journey!
“Honestly, over the moon! Winning the Gold Award at HCIC 2025 felt absolutely incredible.”
Congratulations on winning an award at the HCIC! How did you feel about your achievement?
Honestly, over the moon! Winning the Gold Award at HCIC 2025 felt absolutely incredible. All the hard work paid off, and it was such a huge surprise and honour. Definitely a very, very happy moment!
How was your HCIC experience? What have you learnt? What was the best part of it?
The whole HCIC experience was amazing! It was intense – lots of coding, obviously – but I learnt so many things, especially about how different systems actually work under the hood and how to solve complex problems efficiently.
Tell us about yourself!
I love playing computer games – especially ones with interesting puzzles or strategies. I'm also a big fan of chess; I find it really helps with thinking ahead and problem-solving, which is useful for coding too! And to balance things out, I enjoy swimming whenever I get the chance – it's a great way to relax.
How did you start coding?
I started learning coding when I was six years old when my mother signed me up for coding class at Coding Lab!
Outside coding, Paden enjoys travelling with his beloved family!
What do you like about coding? How has coding made a difference in your life?
I love how challenging it is. There's always a new puzzle to solve or a better way to do something, which keeps me on my toes and makes me even more inquisitive. Coding has definitely changed how I see the world. Now, I see things differently – I look at apps, games, or even everyday systems and immediately wonder, 'How does that work? How could I build something like that?' It's like having a new lens to understand everything.
How did you get started at Coding Lab?
My very first coding class ever was with Coding Lab when I was six! They made learning so much fun and approachable right from the start. I really like how hands-on the projects are and how the teachers explain complex ideas simply. I definitely want to say a huge thank you to Teacher Jeslyn & Thinzar for their amazing guidance, patience, and for always encouraging me to explore further.
What are your future coding aspirations?
Right now, my options are still open – I'm still exploring the incredible world of tech! There's so much more to learn, whether it's diving deeper into AI, exploring app development for a cause I care about, or something entirely new. Coding will definitely be a part of my future, whether it's my main job or a powerful tool I use in another field. I'm excited to see where it takes me!
“I just fell in love with it straight away. Building something from scratch and making it work was, and still is, such a cool feeling.”
Lastly, what advice would you give to young coders who want to participate in HCIC?
My biggest advice? Practice, practice, practice! Don't just learn the basics, try building your own small projects. Experiment, break things (then fix them!) and challenge yourself with new concepts. Participating in something like HCIC is an awesome experience!
Here at Coding Lab, we are incredibly proud of Paden’s achievements and growth in his coding journey. Stories like his inspire us to continue nurturing the next generation of tech leaders. Our mission is to empower children to reach their fullest potential through code—and we hope that Paden’s journey will motivate you to invest in your child’s future through coding education!
Paden Wong started attending our P201 - App Inventor 1 class at Coding Lab when he was 11 years old and advanced his way to our DSA - Direct School Admission class by the time he was 12, now currently be a student in our S100P class tutored by Yin Xuan. He was awarded the Gold Award at the Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2025.
Our #CodingLabStudents blogs feature our ambitious students and their ongoing coding journeys – be it the budding coder or advanced Python Pro, we appreciate each and every single one’s efforts as they progress to greater heights. 🌱
Coding Lab offers an award-winning curriculum specially for ages 5 to 18 – check out our courses to begin your own coding journey today!
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