where I come from you are taught that in order to be deemed successful you have
order to be deemed successful you have
order to be deemed successful you have to work extremely hard to attain one of
to work extremely hard to attain one of
to work extremely hard to attain one of four careers a doctor a lawyer and
four careers a doctor a lawyer and
four careers a doctor a lawyer and entertainer or an athlete while all of
entertainer or an athlete while all of
entertainer or an athlete while all of these professions are held to high
these professions are held to high
these professions are held to high esteem someone’s telling me what I can
esteem someone’s telling me what I can
esteem someone’s telling me what I can become puts limitations on what I felt I
become puts limitations on what I felt I
become puts limitations on what I felt I could accomplish so I made the choice to
could accomplish so I made the choice to
could accomplish so I made the choice to branch out and explore all the
branch out and explore all the
branch out and explore all the possibilities around me last spring a
possibilities around me last spring a
possibilities around me last spring a co-worker of mine recommended i apply
co-worker of mine recommended i apply
co-worker of mine recommended i apply for an inclusion Institute she
for an inclusion Institute she
for an inclusion Institute she previously attended I she explained to
previously attended I she explained to
previously attended I she explained to me that I would have the opportunity to
me that I would have the opportunity to
me that I would have the opportunity to experience a new city I would also be
experience a new city I would also be
experience a new city I would also be provided free housing and free meals for
provided free housing and free meals for
provided free housing and free meals for the entirety of the program if I were
the entirety of the program if I were
the entirety of the program if I were selected I will also be awarded a free
selected I will also be awarded a free
selected I will also be awarded a free flight along with the stipend I was
flight along with the stipend I was
flight along with the stipend I was super excited so I immediately gathered
super excited so I immediately gathered
super excited so I immediately gathered the required materials and applied I
the required materials and applied I
the required materials and applied I patiently waited to hear back as to
patiently waited to hear back as to
patiently waited to hear back as to whether or not I was accepted into the
whether or not I was accepted into the
whether or not I was accepted into the program the deadline came and went and I
program the deadline came and went and I
program the deadline came and went and I had heard nothing so I went to the
had heard nothing so I went to the
had heard nothing so I went to the website and found the contact
website and found the contact
website and found the contact information for the director I called
information for the director I called
information for the director I called and emailed him only to receive no
and emailed him only to receive no
and emailed him only to receive no response some time passed and I finally
response some time passed and I finally
response some time passed and I finally got a call back from the director only
got a call back from the director only
got a call back from the director only to be told that I would have to continue
to be told that I would have to continue
to be told that I would have to continue to wait for a final decision then the
to wait for a final decision then the
to wait for a final decision then the day had finally come for the final
day had finally come for the final
day had finally come for the final decision to be released and I was
decision to be released and I was
decision to be released and I was accepted I was ecstatic this was a
accepted I was ecstatic this was a
accepted I was ecstatic this was a journey that would humbly changed me for
journey that would humbly changed me for
journey that would humbly changed me for the better and help me to identify my
the better and help me to identify my
the better and help me to identify my purpose and passion in life being a part
purpose and passion in life being a part
purpose and passion in life being a part of the Institute at the University
of the Institute at the University
of the Institute at the University see a Pittsburgh was a life-changing
see a Pittsburgh was a life-changing
see a Pittsburgh was a life-changing experience not only was I able to
experience not only was I able to
experience not only was I able to benefit from all of the free perks I was
benefit from all of the free perks I was
benefit from all of the free perks I was able to connect with college students
able to connect with college students
able to connect with college students from different majors and different
from different majors and different
from different majors and different walks of life on the first day of the
walks of life on the first day of the
walks of life on the first day of the Institute I honestly did not know what
Institute I honestly did not know what
Institute I honestly did not know what to expect I was just grateful to have
to expect I was just grateful to have
to expect I was just grateful to have the opportunity to be there later I
the opportunity to be there later I
the opportunity to be there later I discovered that us individuals were
discovered that us individuals were
discovered that us individuals were selected from underrepresented
selected from underrepresented
selected from underrepresented populations to learn about the benefits
populations to learn about the benefits
populations to learn about the benefits of the technology field and pursuing
of the technology field and pursuing
of the technology field and pursuing careers and performing research within
careers and performing research within
careers and performing research within technology through the Institute we
technology through the Institute we
technology through the Institute we participated in various hands-on
participated in various hands-on
participated in various hands-on workshops regarding programming coating
workshops regarding programming coating
workshops regarding programming coating and website design I realize during one
and website design I realize during one
and website design I realize during one of the coating workshops that what I was
of the coating workshops that what I was
of the coating workshops that what I was learning with stuff I remember teaching
learning with stuff I remember teaching
learning with stuff I remember teaching myself using my space yes my space I
myself using my space yes my space I
myself using my space yes my space I recall using different HTML codes to
recall using different HTML codes to
recall using different HTML codes to customize my profile page I could not
customize my profile page I could not
customize my profile page I could not believe way back then I was coding and I
believe way back then I was coding and I
believe way back then I was coding and I didn’t even realize I was doing so I
didn’t even realize I was doing so I
didn’t even realize I was doing so I started talking with the few min stem
started talking with the few min stem
started talking with the few min stem majors that were there and their
majors that were there and their
majors that were there and their conversations truly shocked me one of
conversations truly shocked me one of
conversations truly shocked me one of the students shared that in her classes
the students shared that in her classes
the students shared that in her classes back home she was oftentimes the only
back home she was oftentimes the only
back home she was oftentimes the only woman or person of color other students
woman or person of color other students
woman or person of color other students shared experiences about being
shared experiences about being
shared experiences about being stereotyped based on how male-dominated
stereotyped based on how male-dominated
stereotyped based on how male-dominated and homogeneous the technology industry
and homogeneous the technology industry
and homogeneous the technology industry is these moments open my eyes to the sad
is these moments open my eyes to the sad
is these moments open my eyes to the sad reality of how social prejudices are
reality of how social prejudices are
reality of how social prejudices are still fighting to we are still fighting
still fighting to we are still fighting
still fighting to we are still fighting to overcome them today after completing
to overcome them today after completing
to overcome them today after completing the journey I
the journey I
the journey I had fell in love with technology I knew
had fell in love with technology I knew
had fell in love with technology I knew I had found my passion and I wanted to
I had found my passion and I wanted to
I had found my passion and I wanted to get more involved my story started with
get more involved my story started with
get more involved my story started with persistence because I wanted a free trip
persistence because I wanted a free trip
persistence because I wanted a free trip but that same trip led me to discovering
but that same trip led me to discovering
but that same trip led me to discovering my passion I aim to change the face of
my passion I aim to change the face of
my passion I aim to change the face of the technology field let me educate you
the technology field let me educate you
the technology field let me educate you here are some facts and statistics the
here are some facts and statistics the
here are some facts and statistics the US economy currently is the the
US economy currently is the the
US economy currently is the the technology industry is currently the
technology industry is currently the
technology industry is currently the fastest growing sector among the United
fastest growing sector among the United
fastest growing sector among the United States economy 1.4 million new
States economy 1.4 million new
States economy 1.4 million new technology jobs will be available by
technology jobs will be available by
technology jobs will be available by 2020 however seventy percent of those
2020 however seventy percent of those
2020 however seventy percent of those jobs will go unfilled currently the
jobs will go unfilled currently the
jobs will go unfilled currently the technology sector is comprised of four
technology sector is comprised of four
technology sector is comprised of four percent african-american individuals and
percent african-american individuals and
percent african-american individuals and five percent Latino individuals of those
five percent Latino individuals of those
five percent Latino individuals of those one percent of Latino women make up the
one percent of Latino women make up the
one percent of Latino women make up the tech jobs and three percent of
tech jobs and three percent of
tech jobs and three percent of african-american women only hold
african-american women only hold
african-american women only hold technology positions where there is a
technology positions where there is a
technology positions where there is a lack of diversity there is a lack of
lack of diversity there is a lack of
lack of diversity there is a lack of perspective the reality is there are
perspective the reality is there are
perspective the reality is there are many people that look like me they are
many people that look like me they are
many people that look like me they are pursuing careers and technology so my
pursuing careers and technology so my
pursuing careers and technology so my perspective our perspective that’s women
perspective our perspective that’s women
perspective our perspective that’s women minorities underrepresented populations
minorities underrepresented populations
minorities underrepresented populations are seldom their individualized
are seldom their individualized
are seldom their individualized much-needed experiences are seldom being
much-needed experiences are seldom being
much-needed experiences are seldom being brought to the table to grow and develop
brought to the table to grow and develop
brought to the table to grow and develop this field everyone please take out your
this field everyone please take out your
this field everyone please take out your phones the phone that you are holding in
phones the phone that you are holding in
phones the phone that you are holding in your hand that is technology technology
your hand that is technology technology
your hand that is technology technology is our future your phone that is our
is our future your phone that is our
is our future your phone that is our future we are the creators we are the
future we are the creators we are the
future we are the creators we are the programmers we are the future technology
programmers we are the future technology
programmers we are the future technology is a field that impacts this world so
is a field that impacts this world so
is a field that impacts this world so why is it that this field is not as
why is it that this field is not as
why is it that this field is not as diverse as the world that we live in I
diverse as the world that we live in I
diverse as the world that we live in I want underrepresented populations to get
want underrepresented populations to get
want underrepresented populations to get excited about technology like sports
excited about technology like sports
excited about technology like sports fans get excited about their favorite
fans get excited about their favorite
fans get excited about their favorite sports teams like we get excited about
sports teams like we get excited about
sports teams like we get excited about seeing the food that we ordered come to
seeing the food that we ordered come to
seeing the food that we ordered come to our table at a restaurant like we get
our table at a restaurant like we get
our table at a restaurant like we get excited about seeing something that was
excited about seeing something that was
excited about seeing something that was told to us to be nearly impossible being
told to us to be nearly impossible being
told to us to be nearly impossible being done and achieved the next Steve Jobs
done and achieved the next Steve Jobs
done and achieved the next Steve Jobs may very well be in this room right now
may very well be in this room right now
may very well be in this room right now the next Steve Jobs may be a woman may
the next Steve Jobs may be a woman may
the next Steve Jobs may be a woman may be an african-american maybe a Latina
be an african-american maybe a Latina
be an african-american maybe a Latina maybe someone from the south side of
maybe someone from the south side of
maybe someone from the south side of Chicago or from the coast of California
accepting yourself and letting go of
accepting yourself and letting go of what society says you should be are the
what society says you should be are the
what society says you should be are the first steps to freeing yourself I
first steps to freeing yourself I
first steps to freeing yourself I challenge you all to find your purpose
challenge you all to find your purpose
challenge you all to find your purpose find where you fit in and don’t allow
find where you fit in and don’t allow
find where you fit in and don’t allow the negativity to control your future
think about all the things that you want
think about all the things that you want to be in life and go out and achieve it
to be in life and go out and achieve it
to be in life and go out and achieve it work hard stay focused choose to make
work hard stay focused choose to make
work hard stay focused choose to make the world a better place have fun take
the world a better place have fun take
the world a better place have fun take advantage of the opportunities that are
advantage of the opportunities that are
advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you and most importantly no
presented to you and most importantly no
presented to you and most importantly no matter how far you branch out know that
matter how far you branch out know that
matter how far you branch out know that you have roots that are there supporting
you have roots that are there supporting
you have roots that are there supporting you
”
Be First to Comment