Grace Hopper: My First Experience
From October 4 – 6, 2017, I had the pleasure of attending the Grace Hopper Celebration in Orlando, FL. I left feeling empowered and earnestly inspired - from the presentations and the people I made connections with, to seeing the thousands upon thousands of women looking to change the tech scene.
What is the Grace Hopper Celebration?
The Grace Hopper Celebration is a 3-day conference that recognizes and appreciates women in computing. Women (and men) from numerous companies and educational institutes gather to listen to presentations from thought leaders, engineers, data scientists, product managers, and other industry experts.
During this conference, there is also a massive career fair where seasoned veterans and college students alike search for their next job or work opportunity. The possibilities are plentiful: learn new things, network with co-workers, create new relationships, and find opportunities.
Why I attended the conference
I consider myself a fledgling in tech. Less than two years ago, I was a designer. In 2016, I joined LinkedIn as an engineering apprentice and then mentored, which then ushered me into the rewarding career of software engineering.
Because of my background, 'paying it forward' is essential. In addition to conducting interviews and assisting LinkedIn's booth at the fair, I made it a point to encourage those considering a career-switch to pursue what they want, and also to encourage those who were on their way of pursuing a career in technology.
Additionally, my attendance is also due in part to the discussion of various topics within technology such as data science, software development, and product design (to name a few). For example, Dr. Fei-Fei Li, Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford AI Lab, presented on AI: how artificial intelligence is profoundly human, and will need to be designed with human consideration. Incredibly thought-provoking, indeed!
I was also able to take part in an AI workshop: Building a Conversational Agent with API.ai!
Diversity at Grace Hopper
I was pleased with the number of attendees of this conference – a whopping 18,000! All types of women were featured and present: women of color, women of varying ages, product managers, professors, developers, college students, and more.
Although cliché, it was inspiring – and honestly a breath of fresh air – to see so many women interested in tech when possibly a decade ago this wasn’t the case. I think there is strength in numbers: the fact that there are so many in the same situation as you, you feel more encouraged to go on your own journey.
The next generation of women in computing is going to be extraordinary!
My reflections from the conference
- Don't be afraid to go after what you want.
- "Paying it forward" is as important as getting to your goal.
- Shared experiences are what makes relationships – don't be afraid to meet some new people. You never know what you may learn ??
For more information about the Grace Hopper Celebration, please visit https://ghc.anitab.org/ .