“I have very personally felt the overwhelming loneliness, self-doubt, and frustration that often comes with the minority status of a woman in engineering. As much as I can help others get through or avoid those difficult stretches that I myself had to weather, I’d like to. As a bonus, the more women (and minorities) that enter and don’t leave the field, the better it all gets for everyone, including me!” - Tracy Chou, Software Engineer at Pinterest
I was seven years old when my parents gave me my first set of science and technology books. Soon after receiving the books I quickly immersed myself in them. My parents knew at an early age that I enjoyed to be challenged and loved to learn. A few years later, my Mom decided to get a home desktop for the family, and I quickly became infatuated with technology. I soon taught myself how to build a website from scratch and learned the in's and out's of web design. It was absolutely something I loved and I'm more than fortunate my parents encouraged me to learn and grow.
While I had a super supportive system at home, it wasn't always like that outside of my safe space. I quickly learned at an early age not everyone would be supporting of my dreams. There were many teachers I had growing up who pushed and challenged me. I'm forever grateful to the educators who allowed me to be creative and design.
In the 8th grade, one of my teachers informed my parents that I should apply for a Technology Academy for high school. I submitted my application packet, and was 1 of 100 students to be accepted into the program. This opportunity completely changed my life and set the stage for my career now. For, four years I worked and learned beside other like-minded individuals. The academy was one of the greatest opportunities that happened to me.
During my last two years in the academy, I had the opportunity to take courses at a local community college. This opportunity, helped me hone in on my tech skills. During this time, I absolutely knew that majoring in Computer Science was a must for me. I was so fortunate that the two main tech influences in my pre-college career were women. They were strong, and informed me that I could do absolutely anything. Yet, they began to prepare me for the struggles that would arise, especially in the collegiate space.
When I arrived to my university and quickly declared Computer Science as my major in my first year ... there was a lot of discouragement. Being one of the few women majoring in and being an African-American woman, it was extremely tough. I remember a few professors telling me very early on that I should switch my major. They indicated that I wasn't good enough for the program. I constantly had to show and prove, which made my academic journey much harder. Not only did I have to combat prejudice frequently, but the expectations to still keep up with my white male peers were daunting.
My college experience quickly prepared me for my post-graduate career in Information Technology. I knew that I'd have to fight for a seat at the table, and be strong as well as confident in my many roles to come throughout my career. The experiences I learned over many years have made me a well rounded individual. I have been able to mentor many young women in IT, and it has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors I've ever done.
There are so many things I've learned throughout my journey, and below are a few tips.
- You are more than good enough. I've been told many times that I would fail, and not be successful in the technical field. There were many times I had to tell myself that this was false, and I'm more than good enough. Like I have said previously, my family is very supportive, and they never limited me in any capacity, especially when it came to education. There were many times when I had to fight through self-doubt and depression, because of the negativity from peers. Yet, I powered through and showed everyone that I was more than capable and absolutely good enough.
- There is strength in numbers. My two best friends are engineers. They are smart and brilliant, and so amazing. There were many days where I had to really push and fight to ensure my voice was heard. Lucky for me, I surrounded myself with women who challenged and pushed me. We supported and fought for the women and minorities whose voices weren't heard. I had to learn to not only fight for myself, but for the women who would come after me.
- Work smarter, not harder. This was something one of my favorite Computer Science professors taught me. He always challenged me. One day in his office, I was crying uncontrollably, and exclaimed, "I'm working so hard!" I'll never forget his tone and sincerity, as he said, "Work smarter, not harder. Sometimes you have to take a new approach to the things you are working on, in order for it to be successful. If the way you are working on things isn't working, it's time to change the process." That statement forever changed my work ethic ... and it's something I preach to this day.
Nothing in this life will come easy, but if you are absolutely passionate about something, never give up and keep pushing. Also, always know that you are not alone.
XO, Analise