From September 26th to 28th, I had the immense privilege of attending the Grace Hopper Celebration in Houston, Texas as a Scholar.
As described on their website, the Grace Hopper Celebration is:
“the world’s largest gathering of women technologists…produced by AnitaB.org and presented in partnership with ACM.”
The Celebration provides thousands of women with access to academic and career workshops, networking, and recruitment opportunities.
The conference was an incredible networking and learning experience. I met recruiters from Google, Ericsson, Cisco, and LinkedIn, to name a few, and had meaningful, insightful conversations with them. Not only did I learn more about the positions available at their companies and their professional experiences but also learned more about what they uniquely look for in applicants. I also got to network with hundreds of women from all walks of life with various experiences in technology. Getting to know them and their journeys filled me with a sense of camaraderie and wonder that I had never experienced before.
The academic and career workshops were remarkable. Watching women technologists completely dominate the space and conversation was as surreal as it was life-changing. I had the opportunity to attend well-explained and hands-on Data Analysis and IOT Deep Learning workshops. A career workshop that stuck with me was “Shattering the Imposter Syndrome” by Dena Haritos Tsamitis. The only female head of department in Carnegie Mellon University, she outlined her personal journey navigating the world of academia and the steps she took to overcome her insecurities.
A downside to the conference would be its sheer size and the multitude of events going on at any moment. It is very easy to get overwhelmed if you aren’t prepared, emotionally and otherwise, for the events of the day and the thousands of people lined up at the Career Expo. I would note however, that with a clear plan and several trips to the Student Lounge, navigating the Conference gets easier – and the experience an infinite times more enjoyable.
I strongly recommend all women and non binary people to apply for the scholarship and attend the conference. If you don’t get the scholarship your first time – try again! I received my scholarship on the second try I applied. Other than the AnitaB scholarship program, there are other ways to fund your trip to the conference – most colleges and universities try to fund women to attend! There is truly nothing like it! Be prepared to leave inspired and ready to forge your path in tech with a renewed enthusiasm.