SheTech Interns Interview Audra Yocom
Audra Yocom is transforming tech education in Utah by empowering students through innovative teaching, esports, and district-wide collaboration, inspiring the next generation of computer science and IT leaders.
People & Culture
Empowering the Next Generation: Audra Yocom’s Mission to Transform Tech Education
When it comes to inspiring students in technology, few do it like Audra Yocom.
Audra Yocom was recognized by the Women Tech Council as a finalist for the 2024 Women Tech Awards in the Education category. With nearly a decade of experience teaching at Pleasant Grove High School, Yocom is a leader in Utah’s Alpine School District — not just in the classroom but across the region’s tech education programs. She has helped shape curriculum, build new learning models, and launch opportunities that didn’t exist before. Along the way, she’s become a mentor and role model to hundreds of students discovering their futures in computer science and IT.
Yocom grew up in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and graduated from nearby American Fork High School. After attending Brigham Young University, she explored a variety of career paths — including a stint in civil engineering — before turning toward education.
“I often wondered if there was something that was a better fit,” she says. Her interest in computer science was first sparked by her mom, a computer teacher who helped her see the possibilities early on. “Especially as a girl in a class full of boys, it can be intimidating. I got super lucky that my mom was there.”
While serving as a TA, Yocom had what she calls her “aha moment.” She realized she didn’t just like coding — she loved helping others understand it. “Why don’t you become a teacher? You enjoy this. You’ve taught swimming lessons. Why not?” she recalls. That moment led her to pursue a degree in Technology and Engineering Education at BYU.
Now, Yocom brings that same moment of discovery into her own classroom. “My biggest thing is: You can do hard things. Like the quote on my wall — ‘keep moving forward,’” she says. “It’s more meaningful when students have those aha moments themselves.”
Her teaching philosophy encourages students to take charge of their learning. Whether it’s building apps or designing game mods, she urges students to explore what excites them — and use tech as a tool to enhance it.
She’s also had a major role in expanding esports in Utah schools. As part of the Ken Garff Esports program and in partnership with the Success in Education Foundation, Yocom helped establish and grow statewide participation. “Even though I’m not a gamer — my biggest claim to fame was beating Frogger — I saw how esports created connection,” she says.
Yocom believes esports can be a bridge between students and parents. “I think it would surprise parents how much their student would open up if they showed a shared interest in esports,” she says.
One of her latest efforts is a new district-wide course called Advanced CS & IT. The class uses WebEx to connect students from multiple high schools across Alpine District in real-time. Each participating teacher leads different modules — meaning students gain exposure to a wide range of topics and instructors. “In one class period, I might have students from seven different schools learning five different things, all at the same time,” Yocom explains.
This innovative format has quadrupled the number of tech-related CTE courses available to students across the district — a major leap in accessibility and course variety.
For Yocom, the real reward comes when students stay in touch and share their paths into tech careers. “I just love when students come back and say I helped them see what was possible,” she says.
Her advice to students? “Even if you fail, get up, dust yourself off, and try again. Don’t be afraid to explore.”
It’s a mindset she lives by — and one she’s passed on to a growing generation of tech-savvy Utah students ready to keep moving forward.
SheTech Media Interns, Lynny Gibson and Kate Topham, have participated in SheTech programs, including the SheTech-TechBuzz Media Internship this past year for which they've interviewed and written about Women Tech Finalists and Awardees. Their work is published on TechBuzz News, Silicon Slopes, and other media channels.
Lynny attends Taylorsville High School in the Granite School District serves as a SheTech Student Board member, a Keys to Success Ambassador, and has been recognized as a participant in Distinguished Young Women of Utah. Passionate about lacrosse, Lynny plays on Taylorsville’s emerging team and brings that same energy to her academic and leadership pursuits. Through the SheTech TechBuzz internship, she enjoys connecting with inspiring industry professionals across Utah. Lynny plans to pursue a career in Business Management and Administration.
Kate recently graduated from Lone Peak High School, where she led the SheTech chapter for the past three years, taught Science to the academic decathlon team, founded the Chinese Language Honor Society, and was named Sterling Scholar in the Science.