Life changing. Eye opening. Mind blowing.
These are just a few of the words computer science students used to describe their experience at the 2014 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, billed as the world’s largest gathering of female technologists.
Eight women from CU Engineering were able to attend the conference thanks to scholarships from Boulder-based Zayo Group. Upon returning, they invited their fellow students to a panel discussion to share their takeaways and testimonials.
For most, simply being surrounded by women—the conference attracted nearly 7,500 attendees —was a new experience.
“It was great to be in a place where people’s first reaction was not, ‘Oh, you’re a woman in computer science!’” says sophomore Paige Johnson.
The students also shared how the event allowed them to make meaningful connections.
“I probably spent an average of 15 minutes with every company I talked to at the career fair,” says junior Jessica Lynch. “It was really great to hear everyone’s stories and hear that companies are more welcoming than I expected.”
Sophomore Camilla Lombrocco, who is majoring in computer science and physics, said that before Grace Hopper, she thought her path lay in academia. But after being exposed to the wide variety of opportunities for computer scientists and spending time with a representative from Intel, she’s changed her mind.
“The most amazing thing was that they wanted to capture us,” she says. “They wanted to show us how beautiful their company was. When I got back, I switched from doing a PhD in physics to applying for the BS/MS program in computer science. The conference literally changed my future.”
This year’s “Zayo Scholars” also included Heather Dykstra, Natalia Rodriguez, Lisa Hobbs, Dilara Madinger and Sloane O'Neill.