Data Scientist.
Teacher.
Researcher.
I want to break the glass ceiling instead of fitting into a glass slipper. This cliché statement defines me.
Growing up in India, I was a shy girl with only a focus on academics. My transition to UW was difficult due to challenging coursework, cultural differences, and loneliness.
​
It’s been a long road since, but I’m humbled to see the impact that UW has had on me. Coursework and extra-curricular engagements have enabled me to grow from an isolated freshman interested in technology into a confident data scientist, teacher, and researcher; passionate about using my experiences to serve society by uplifting the voices of people around me.
Commitment to Inclusive Community
One defining challenge that my work revolved around was the issue of gender bias in technology fields. This started during my first quarter at UW, when I took Introduction to Programming. The environment was competitive and I felt left out. Listening to my story, my academic advisor suggested that I take Gender & Information Technology. On the first day of class, all the pieces fit. I learned about the perception of women in technical fields and how microaggressions impact a woman’s morale. Thereafter, I wanted to use my technical skills to make sure no other woman had the same negative thoughts as me.
Picture from SWE Major Outreach Program
I joined UW Society of Women Engineers (SWE), which focuses on encouraging women to be engineering leaders. Through SWE, I learned about the lack of female role models and supportive communities; this motivated me to work with this organization to help support women. Since then, I’ve become an integral part of the SWE leadership team. Early on, I was the Lead for the Major Outreach program; wherein, I invited high-school girls to campus to create their interest in STEM fields.
One touching moment was when a participant thanked me for connecting her to a mentor and a community that decreased her anxiety about the transition to college. Now, as Corporate Relations Coordinator, I help organize the largest career fair on-campus, focused on creating a welcoming community for women as a means to make them feel included in male-dominated fields.
Diversity Mindset
To challenge myself, I actively take part in stepping out of my comfort zone and working with people from diverse backgrounds.
​
This started when I got involved with the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS), a UW non-profit focused on advancing cross-cultural connections. I joined this club to make friends, but instead, I learned about student leadership. Even though I was shy, the FIUTS staff pushed me to take a leadership role, and I started by facilitating campus tours. Gradually, I moved from stuttering through ice-breakers to serving as the Vice President of FIUTS. It was gratifying to see that people believed in my potential, even when I did not believe in myself.
Pictures from FIUTS events that I have been involved with.
In sophomore year, I started working as a Residential Education Programmer with UW Housing and Food Services (HFS); wherein I had to educate residents about their health. From organizing a 5k run to teaching about nutritional meals, I challenged myself daily to learn and create engaging programs. However, it all felt worth it, when one of the residents said that the mindfulness techniques he had learned in the program helped him work through his depression.
Residential Education Programming Board
(2017-18)
Connect the Dots
After several experiences advocating for women in technology, it was imperative I work in the field. As such, I worked to synthesize my coursework, such as user experience research and analysis. While learning more about industry practices for gender issues, I connected with an iSchool professor who was investigating the effectiveness of women's affinity groups in the technology industry. As I read more about these groups, it bugged me why they were not the solution to the upliftment of women.
To explore this further, I initiated interviews with employees from technology companies. The analysis showed that women’s concerns were not being heard and that these practices were increasing problems instead. I published these results in an executive report so that companies were made aware of the real problem. I tried to use the skills I learned inside the classroom to find solutions to gender inequity in the technology industry, but it did not feel enough. Therefore, I am currently working on investigating improvements to these practices, using a survey research platform. My hope is that this showcases the voices of the women in the industry to the world instead of being silenced. This is just one step towards raising awareness and creating a sense of belonging for women in the technology world.
Capacity for Leadership
Early at UW, I engaged in several activities that fit into the traditional mold of leadership - I was the FIUTS Vice President, SWE Corporate Relations Coordinator and HFS Residential Education Programmer. But, as I learned while being a section leader for the Learning Leadership Course, there are several forms of leadership.
Section Leaders for Learning Leadership Course
In junior year, I got the opportunity to be a Teaching Assistant for Gender & Information Technology. This was the class that had initiated the spark in me to use technology for serving society and learning about gender bias in the industry. I was grateful to help share this knowledge with fifty new students and to see their “AHA!” moments. My experience working with one student sums up why I loved this role. She was worried that she would not pass. To help her, I created extra practice tests and connected her to external resources. A few months later, she emailed me about becoming a Teaching Assistant for the course, so that she can help someone, as well. To me, this is the informal leadership that I am passionate about as I get to help others achieve their goals.
Pictures from SWE events that I have been involved with.
This same year, I decided to run for SWE President. I felt it was the next best step in accelerating the club and my personal growth. I was confident that I was a good candidate, but the club decided otherwise. I had extensively planned for this role and it was hard for me to accept this failure. However, this did not deter me from the SWE mission, so I looked for different ways to add value. Seeing how members needed help finding a career path, I paired them with my industry connections. This act gained traction and slowly turned into the now far-reaching Industry Mentorship program. It taught me that I did not need a title to help create impact.
Ready for What is Next
While I am grateful to have had the opportunity to immerse myself in different communities at UW, I am ready for what lies ahead. I’ve experienced the impact of UW through my role as a data scientist, teacher, and researcher. I am excited to synthesize this as I take on the role of a data-driven researcher post-graduation; leveraging my experiences within SWE, FIUTS, HFS, teaching, and research to uplift women in technology. I am going to be researching existing systems for women in the industry. It’s a lofty goal but it amalgamates my passions.
I do not want to fit into the glass slipper of only an educator or a technologist but instead, shatter the glass ceiling by combining both.
A video of me raising awareness about the gender pay gap in the industry at UW Red Square