Abstract: Despite recent increases in the number of women and girls participating in computer science, more progress is needed to achieve parity across genders. Using social role theory as a guiding framework, this paper reports on the results of interviews with 15 high school girls, who shared their perceptions of taking one or more high school computer science courses. The findings indicated that girls pushed back against the belief that computer science is a masculine profession; that they were willing to work hard; and once girls entered computer science, their engagement in the subject matter increased. Girls reported being motivated by having choices, by their ambition to perform well, and by others' encouragement. This study suggests that girls are willing to take computer science, and they likely benefit from early exposure to the subject matter prior to secondary school. K-12 educators across subjects and postsecondary teacher educators can use the insights from this study to inform their approach to assisting international efforts to broaden access to computer science education.