Natalie Hatcher Turns Closed Doors Into Open Futures for High School Students
By Rob Biertempfel
Long before she began ushering high schoolers into Carnegie Mellon University’s classrooms, Natalie Hatcher needed someone to open the door for her.
“I was a first-generation college student, so I know how terrifying the process can be without someone leading the way,” Hatcher said. “For me, it was my best friend in high school. She sat me down, told me, ‘You have to go to college,’ and made me fill out the applications.”
Decades later, that memory informs Hatcher’s work as senior outreach program manager for the School of Computer Science (SCS). In this role, she leads the CS Pathways initiative, which creates computer science opportunities for students from all backgrounds, including the AI Scholars (AIS) and Computer Science Scholars (CSS) programs.
AIS and CSS are four-week summer pre-college programs that provide an immersive academic experience for high school students who might not otherwise see themselves studying high-tech fields at an institution like Carnegie Mellon.
“I feel like I fell into my calling,” Hatcher said. “I’m not just guiding students through a door. I’m kicking open doors that they thought were closed and saying, ‘This is a path you can take. You belong here.’”
CSS is designed for rising high school sophomores, while AIS serves rising seniors. No prior computer science experience is required. In addition to college-level coursework, the students participate in site visits, faculty talks and weekly group discussions. They develop life skills through seminars on college admission, financial aid and mental health.
“So much growth happens outside the classroom,” Hatcher said. “By the time they leave at the end of the summer, they're prepared to start their college applications.”
Both CSS and AIS are fully funded, merit-based programs that cover tuition, meals, housing and travel costs. They are specifically designed to help students hurdle structural barriers to higher education.
“We aim to provide this opportunity for students from under-resourced backgrounds,” Hatcher said. “Many don’t have robust computer science resources in their school districts.”
Since 2021, the programs have enrolled more than 250 students from across the United States, including Puerto Rico and American Samoa. More than two dozen alumni have enrolled as undergraduates at CMU, while others have moved on to institutions such as Princeton, Harvard and MIT.
"The easiest thing we do in CSS and AIS is teach computer science,” Hatcher said. “The rest of our work is helping students grow and believe in themselves as young people and as scholars."
Hatcher’s path to Carnegie Mellon was not a straight line. After earning a sociology degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she completed a year of service with AmeriCorps.
She then worked for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and later in Family Court, spending four years handling foster care adoption and the termination of parental rights cases. It was an emotionally draining experience.
“It was hard to go home at night and turn that stuff off,” Hatcher said. “Toward the end, I was really burned out.”
Seeking a change, Hatcher followed a lifelong love of theater into arts administration. She spent 12 years at City Theatre on Pittsburgh’s South Side and eventually served as general manager. When the COVID-19 pandemic led to a layoff, she pivoted again, working as a grant writer before a mentor encouraged her to apply to SCS.
“I didn't know anything about computer science,” Hatcher said.
However, she soon realized the role wasn't about teaching algorithms. It required project management, emotional intelligence and a deep connection with young people.
“I’m good at being a mirror, reflecting back to people who they are,” Hatcher said. “My heart was in my work, long before I learned that was Andrew Carnegie’s motto. That’s just who I am.”
Hatcher’s workdays often stretch from dawn to darkness, serving as a mentor, counselor and problem-solver. For her, success isn't measured solely by how much coding students learn in four weeks.
“A successful summer is about learning something new, period,” Hatcher said.
At the end of each session, she asks students what they learned about themselves. One answer stayed with her: “I learned that computer science is not for me.”
“I loved that,” Hatcher said. “It meant I did my job. I gave them an opportunity they didn't have before to figure out their path.”
Whether students ultimately pursue technology or choose a different direction, Hatcher remains their fiercest advocate.
“I feel grateful to be the person who says, ‘You absolutely belong. You have everything it takes to be successful,’” Hatcher said. “We can’t wait to see what comes next.”