The 2009 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship The 2009 Google Anita Borg Memorial ScholarshipMeet some of the previous recipients of the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship:
| University: | University of Maryland |
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| Education level: | PhD |
| Major: | Information Studies / HCI |
Leshell is a PhD student undertaking research in Information Studies and Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Maryland's iSchool. She is originally from New Brunswick, NJ and received a B.S. in Computer Systems Engineering and a Masters in Computer Science from Howard University, respectively. She is a huge fan of animation and is a blue and white belt in the t'ien shan p'ai style of kung fu. When she graduates, she will reward herself with flying lessons.
Learning who Anita Borg was and all that was important to her regarding women in computer science was a huge encouragement. I enjoyed the discovery of her efforts and the thoughts and ideas of other scholarship winners. This experience fueled my passion for exposing youth to technology and encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM fields.
I volunteer teaching middle school girls about computers and robots. I also have a website that I update daily (The Black Scholars Index - http://www.blackscholarsindex.com). I recently learned that my friends who are parents use the daily entries to inspire their children about education in general. Many of the features are African-American men and women in science and technology.
| University: | University of California, Santa Barbara |
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| Education level: | PhD |
| Major: | Computer Science |
Saiph is from Mexico City, she studied Computer Engineering in the National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM and will study her PhD in the Computer Science department in UCSB. Her fields of interest include Machine Learning, Motor learning, wearable and ubiquitous computing, and is interested in applying these fields to developing rehabilitation interfaces.
She plays volleyball and can't wait to hit the Santa Barbara beaches to play some beach volleyball and spike!
It has really helped me to change my paradoxes. It made me realize, that despite being fresh out of college, it is possible to accomplish your dreams.
Winning the scholarship has reassured me, that I am on the right track in my professional career, it proved to me that I can and will succeed. It is very motivational to have a company like Google recognize your hard work. I also feel much more committed in explaining to young women why Computer Science is a great study option, and also to motivate them in reaching for their highest goals, showing them that they are viable.
| University: | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
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| Education level: | PhD |
| Major: | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science |
Upon completion of her PhD, Ghinwa hopes to do research in the field of speech recognition. She enjoys being part of a group of engineers that proposes and designs answers to questions like, "How can a speech recognizer learn words that it does not 'know'?" "How can I make a machine, a cellphone, a handheld, etc. hear and understand better what humans are saying?" and "How can we make dialogue systems less frustrating to humans?"
The people, the connections, the network! Whether it was the Anita Borg Scholars, the Google UNCF Scholars, the Google Hispanic Fund Scholars, the Google software engineers, the engineering directors, the retreat organizers, every person I met brought something unique and special to the retreat. Listening to the different stories, the challenges, the plans for the future; it all filled me with a determination to be part of the change needed to make women a more integral part of the computer science field. Meeting Telle Whitney [Director of the Anita Borg Institute] and listening to Anita Borg's story was also inspirational, and I hope that in 2020, we will meet her challenge of 50/50!
| University: | Clemson University |
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| Education level: | PhD |
| Major: | Computer Science |
Sally's research area is in embedded network systems. She will complete her PhD in 2010, and enjoys teaching and getting involved with other students. Her favorite part about computer science is the challenge and the feeling of accomplishment when a problem or project is completed.
The Anita Borg Scholarship impacted me as I got more involved in advancing the status of women in computer science. It also allowed me to get connected with different women in computer science which benefits my academic career. It is very encouraging to see all these women in the area with their successes and accomplishments. This made me more confident that I'm on the right track in my career.
| University: | Stanford University |
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| Education level: | Bachelors |
| Major: | Electrical Engineering (Software Concentration) |
Alice graduated from Stanford in 2008 and is currently pursuing MS and PhD degrees at UC Berkeley in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research and plans to apply her software background to optimization research. For her senior project at Stanford, Alice worked with elementary school students, introducing them to computer science through engineering a Wiimote video game.
The Anita Borg Scholarship has given me opportunities beyond providing financial support to allow me to continue to pursue my education at Stanford. It has provided me with networking and mentoring opportunities and shaped my future goals. From the retreat to other activities to keeping in touch with fellow scholars afterward, the Anita Borg Scholarship made me realize that there is more to my education in computer science than classes and programs. I discovered that I wanted to work with people with diverse talents to make a difference in the world by developing outreach initiatives with my academic goals.
| University: | University of Minnesota, Minneapolis |
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| Education level: | PhD |
| Major: | Computer Science |
When I first looked at the scholarship's requirements, I convinced myself that I was not qualified enough or good enough to compete for the scholarship. Over the next few weeks, I found myself continually thinking about the essay questions and how I would answer them. I decided that I would follow my own advice that I often give students while I am a teaching assistant. It is not the things that we find easy that we take pride in, it is those things that we struggle with and finally overcome that we look back on and have a sense of accomplishment from. Applying for the Google Anita Borg Scholarship was one of these opportunities. I was facing the possibility that my application would be rejected and I realized that the reason I didn't apply at first was that I thought it would be better to not even try rather than face this rejection. I had things that I wanted to say in those essays and the only way I would be given the opportunity to say them was to fill out the application! So, I did. I told my advisor, Dr. Maria Gini, that regardless of whether or not I received a scholarship, I was proud of myself. I really meant it! By applying, I was able take away from the experience a satisfying sense of accomplishment. I answered the essays and expressed in them what I thought was important. What an excellent opportunity to express my own thoughts to others. So, why did I apply for the scholarship? I applied because Anita Borg was a visionary who faced the possibility of failure and rejection head on and I wanted to be like her. Face it, learn from it, and possibly be successful. What a wonderful experience!
| University: | University of Pittsburgh |
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| Education level: | PhD |
| Major: | Computer Science |
The biggest impact the scholarship has had is it made me morally commit to increase the involvement of women in the field. Before, I didn't really have a thing to hold onto, and now I have to be very active in promoting women in the field. The scholarship increased my confidence that I am on the right track and I feel that I have to pass this forward to other females.
| University: | University of Colorado, Boulder |
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| Education level: | Masters |
| Major: | Electrical and Computer Engineering |
Being a scholarship recipient has really renewed my interest in engineering and encouraged me in my career as an engineer. I think the best part of the scholarship was the opportunity to meet other amazing women who have a passion for engineering and a passion for life. Meeting these women provided me the opportunity to give and receive encouragement and share ideas. Along with meeting these women, learning more about Google's supportive environment and Anita Borg's dream has really inspired me to share my interest in engineering with other girls - perhaps those unsure if they would like to study engineering.
| University: | University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign |
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| Education level: | Bachelors |
| Major: | Computer Science |
I have participated in mentoring and tutoring freshmen women in computer science and engineering. I was also involved in an outreach program called Chic Tech, it is geared towards high school girls in Illinois. We give presentations at their schools and organize a Technical Ambassadors Competition where they team up with other girls and work on a semester long technology related project for a community organization. It gives them a first hand experience at what a career in technology might entail and also encourages them to consider it as a major in college. Now that I am a Google Anita Borg Scholar, it gives me new platform to inspire incoming women in technology.
| University: | Brigham Young University |
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| Education level: | Bachelors |
| Major: | Computer Science |
The biggest impact has been in my level of confidence. I have always struggled, like many women in science fields, with doubts about my abilities, but receiving an award like this has helped me realize that I can and will succeed in this field. Being the recipient of this award has been life-changing for me. I never thought I had a chance of receiving it, but I guess I'm evidence that people often exceed their own expectations.
| University: | University of Texas at El Paso |
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| Education level: | Masters |
| Major: | Computer Science |
I have always looked for ways to finance my education so when my advisor recommended I apply for the Anita Borg Scholarship, I did. I want to encourage those women who are unsure of whether they should apply to do it. I say this because when I first read all about the scholarship, I thought, "Hmm, I dunno, it seems like a long shot" but in the end it worked out wonderfully. It has given me the opportunity to meet other women who, like myself, are interested in technology and are pursuing careers in computer science.