Growing up in the Silicon Valley, I always regarded those in the tech industry as superheroes because of their abilities to transform the world through their knowledge, creativity, and work ethic. However, I felt nervous about joining them and I could not find many women with whom to identify. I read the “About Us” page on the website, I realized that even though there is a clear need for the perspective and expertise of women and minorities in computer science, these groups remain underrepresented. I have no experience in any computer science or coding, but I am excited to learn more with KickStart. I expect that there will be problems I do not know how to solve, but this makes me feel even more determined. To overcome the challenges I face, I will attempt the problem on my own, and if necessary, ask for assistance. I think that I would benefit from the encouragement by the staff and my peers. Most of all, after CS KickStart, I will …show more content…
This past summer, I was an assistant backpacking instructor for an all-girls, week-long camping trip in a nearby state park coordinated by an outdoor education nonprofit. For my role, I focused on being a conscious role model for the students who were in middle school. Throughout the trip, I passed down my knowledge that I had learned from years of backpacking. I kept my spirits up, even when we discovered that our first hike to the campground was actually three more miles than the planned route. To overcome the obstacle of the unplanned miles, I modeled confident, enthusiastic energy, which influenced others to have positive mindsets. By the time we returned to base camp, each girl had acclimated to the strenuousness and found a unique joy in nature, which I knew was partly due to my leadership. Seeing their self-confidence blossom was a proud moment for me. Through my experience as an instructor, I realized who I am as a leader, and who I could
Throughout the years of being a student at Council Rock, I have come to the realization of what a true leader is. A leader is not someone that just plans events, collects money, or shows up to meetings. Rather, this is someone that has a true connection with their peers, and has unmatched passion for what they do. With this, I can confidently say that since seventh grade, as a young adult, I have been shaped into an individual that fits these traits. Since that time, I have been involved in student government,
In my junior year of high school, I joined the leadership program called ASB, also known as associated student body. I had the honor and role of being the school’s unofficial videographer to promote events with videos and short films posted on our social media sites because of my passion for video editing and artistic abilities. I also became responsible as being chairman for one of our committees to organize special recognition events for our senior athletes. ASB made my work stressful and challenging, but it was a good way to connect with others.
Just a few days prior, the Catalyst Color Guard, the team of which I am currently captain, won the Texas Color Guard Circuit State Championships. We earned the highest score in the 10-year history of our program after an incredibly successful season. What enabled us to succeed this past season was the leadership. As a junior and first lieutenant, I felt more confident in my own leadership skills and experience, and I was better equipped to serve my team this year. Our improved leadership style and work ethic improved our team as a whole. Our score increased with each
Both inside and outside of school, I make it a personal commitment to be a kind, helpful, and respectful role model to others, and I use those character traits to be a successful leader in my community. Kindness can be hard to come by in today’s age, so I pride myself in being a genuinely nice leader. A prime example of this would be my involvement with my dance school, the D’Arcy School of Irish Dance. While I have only been dancing for three years, I have taken the initiative to be a role model to the younger dancers. As being a Senior dancer, it is my responsibility to portray to other students the way one should act at dance class and performances. Instead of guiding others in a harsh and rather “bossy” manner, I instead choose to lead in a much more effective way. This would be
It was a shock. The pediatric psychiatrist diagnosed me with a novel maladaptive behavior syndrome known as attention deficit disorder (ADD). My condition has notably hindered my ability to concentrate, organize, and execute both in the classroom and within social spheres. However, I have tried to meet the challenges posed by this mysterious syndrome through a number of approaches. Although they have been arduous, I have improved my control over the consequences of this disorder.
I have been a part of multiple pep rallies and am a role model to younger students. One moment, in particular, stands out to me on how much difference I can make in younger children. My new cheer coach had asked if anyone would be interested in volunteering their time to help the middle school squad learning the cheers. Being Varsity Cheer Co-Captain, I was more than happy to oblige. It was a no-brainer to help out because cheer is one of my favorite things. As I laced up my cheer shoes, I glanced up, I noticed the fresh-faced cheerleaders who timidly walked into the gym. They reminded me of me at that age, afraid that they didn't have what it took to be a cheerleader. However, as practices went on, they became more confident in their abilities. Volunteering my time was well worth it, I got to see the cheerleaders grow into more confident cheerleaders and people.
Finally, our company should find some ways to boost gender diversity. In the third article “How to boost gender diversity in STEM”, using gender ratio statistics of 14 major tech companies Abby Perkins (2014) showed how serious of the gender diversity. Using ethos, Perkins (2014) mentioned the current trends in U.S. that only a few women are interested in STEM field. Consequently, to increase the diversity for real, it should be taken much earlier – in the education. Then he suggested several specific methods to achieve the gender
My counselors built our schedule based on a list of girl-planned ideas--even accommodating outlandish ones like hosting a medieval jousting tournament. During our session, we developed courage as we shook our way across the monkey bridge. We developed confidence as we shot bows and arrows. We developed character as we sat in magic circles to share compliments and discuss interpersonal challenges. We were gently encouraged to try new things--including snacks like boob fudge--thanks to our counselors’ challenge-by-choice style. At night, the entire camp came together for all-camp theme nights and traditional campfires. On my last night at camp, I hugged my friends around a community campfire as we reflected on the experiences we had just
I have been a part of multiple pep rallies and being a role model to younger students. One moment, in particular, stands out to me on how much difference I can make in younger children. My new cheer coach had asked if anyone would be interested in volunteering their time to help the middle school squad learning the cheers. Being Varsity Cheer Co-Captain, I was more than happy to oblige. It was a no-brainer to help out because cheer is one of my favorite things. As I laced up my cheer shoes, I glanced up and I noticed the fresh-faced cheerleaders who timidly walked into the gym. They reminded me of me at that age, afraid that they didn't have what it took to be a cheerleader. However, as practices went on, they became more confident in their abilities. Volunteering my time was well worth it, I got to see the cheerleaders grow into more confident cheerleaders and
During the three months living and working in America at an inner city, underprivileged, disabled and able bodied summer camp I learnt how to deal with stressful situations in unfamiliar surroundings, and I believe I equipped myself excellently in these situations through my own self evaluation and the feedback I received from the camp director. Because of my abilities I was chosen to become a head counsellor for an encampment. This entailed leading and planning all activities for the other 12 staff and the 36 children that were under my guidance. Any problems which should have arisen I would use the leadership skills I have learnt from coaching to help me get to a solution. Being at a camp like this has helped heighten my awareness of not only physical disabilities; but also the emotional turmoil that people occur, and how to deal with certain situations in different ways. Because of the close quarters in which I lived and worked, communication was a key aspect to make sure everything ran smoothly. I also had to be considerate of everyone as not one person was the same, from race to religion to swimming ability to reading ability, and I believe this has helped me become a well-rounded individual with compassion and understanding of all people and
Fields that were formerly male-dominated are actively recruiting women to diversify their staff. They have recognized the power of diverse thinking in business. Articles online explain how to recruit women in technology and science fields, among others.
This camp is designed for children who have limb deficiencies or amputations be able to come together for a week of endless excitement and fun. I was lucky enough to have eight girls ranging from six to nine years old in my cabin. It was my responsibility to be a leader to these girls, show them encouragement, boost their self-esteem and never let them give up despite of circumstances. Throughout the duration of this camp I truly learned how to be leader and how to exert a calmness in stressful situations that is able to reinforce sincerity and serenity. I left the camp feeling more blessed than I could have ever imagined. These children were able to teach me things that I will forever hold close and that I am confident will make me a strong
In today’s world, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer, and Math) fields is still predominant males and there seems to be a lack of females in these fields. One reason why women may not enter the field is due to stereotyping. The stereotype that most people in these fields are anti-social, nerdy, and must be super intelligent. Of course, the thought of not being intelligent enough, working alone and no one to socialize with and not wanting to be viewed at as a nerdy person can be daunting. These are all misconceptions of STEM jobs. According to code.org all it takes to learn coding is determination, as it does to learn most field. This is true for a lot of STEM jobs, it doesn’t require you to have to be smart before even considering studying in STEM related jobs, and it takes a lot of de...
With technology rapidly changing as fast as we blink our eyes, it is important for people to learn as much as possible about the computer world if they want to maintain a decent lifestyle because the world we live in revolving around those technologies. As McKee points out, “most jobs now require intelligence and technical skill” (1). Each year, there is something either added or modified to computers, which forces people to learn computer literacy at a steady pace. While some love computers, others despise them. When comparing people’s attitudes towards computers, statistics show a gender gap that proves most females’ attitudes are drastically different from the attitudes of males. Several studies prove that women not only lack an interest in technology, but they also chose not to enroll in computer classes. Since computers and technology play an enormous role in the world today, more technology professionals are needed. It is extremely important for more women to become knowledgeable in these areas. Swain and Harvey argue, “This technology gender gap is affecting half our population and causing it to be unprepared to contribute to the demands of a high-tech twenty-first century” (17). While this may not seem like a serious issue to some, it is an issue that will ultimately lead to a bigger problem if not handled immediately. So why are there so few women in the technology field? To answer that question, I must first find out why are there so few women in the technology and computer classes, considering that this atmosphere is the most common place where the interest for computers is born.
If people were asked what percentage of technological jobs are held by women, most would guess around 50%. But in fact, women’s involvement in technological fields has dropped significantly in the last decade, leaving less than 25% of such jobs being held by women. This prevents economies from developing and prevents communities from reaching their full potential. As John Kerry said, “No country can get ahead if it leaves half of its people behind. This is why the United States believes gender equality is critical to our shared goals of prosperity, stability, and peace, and why investing in women and girls worldwide is critical.” The lack of women in technology is a problem that faces us daily, but can also be changed daily. Unless