
Junior marketing major Allison Jeu recently attended the Grace Hopper Celebration, an annual event that brings the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront, and highlights the contributions of women to the tech world. An important and influential pioneer in the history of tech, Rear Admiral Grace Hopper was one of the first women to receive a doctorate degree in mathematics. Her expertise allowed her to join the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II to work on the Mark I computer. In her own words, Allison reflects on how this experience contributed to her professional growth.
The Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) is a four-day virtual event celebrating women from around the world and their achievements in technology. This event gave me a space to learn from accomplished women from distinguished corporations, and it allowed me to network with leaders and industry professionals who recognize the importance of diversity in tech.
The tech industry, at times, can feel exclusive, and as a marketing major, I was unsure of whether or not I would be able to connect among the many talented computer scientists and engineers involved, but my interest in using technology to optimize marketing strategies gave me a unique experience. A prominent value of GHC is industry leaders helping women of all experience levels progress in tech, and I experienced the fruit of that commitment firsthand throughout the conference.
Lately, I have struggled to find career paths that align with the work I want to pursue during, and most importantly, after graduation. This conference provided such an uplifting and empowering environment that invited me into conversation with women who opened my mind to the possibility of careers I never would have thought to work toward.
Some of their advice has stuck with me following the conference:
- Be confident and be yourself!
- Do not be afraid to speak up and be vocal about what you want. Especially when interviewing or networking…let them know what you are passionate about and what you want to pursue.
- Do not limit yourself when applying for jobs/internships. Especially as a woman who’s just starting to network and look for internships, it can be easy to tell yourself that you do not have enough experience or skills. If you feel like you are 50% qualified, you are most likely qualified for that job!
“Our greatest life is living on the other side of fear.” The most important aspect of GHC is to dare. As a woman in technology and a woman entering the workforce, GHC dares me to take risks and put myself in front of industry leaders to ask questions and make connections.
Overall, I found GHC to be a fantastic experience; it gave me the opportunity to network with other women in the tech industry, attend inspiring keynotes, grow my skills, and put myself in front of recruiters at world leading companies.