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| Women in electronics! Me and my gorgeous electronics partner, Nicole Grimwood. |
Growing up, I was somewhat technically inclined, but was never encouraged to go into Computer Science until college. Harvey Mudd's mission to encourage diversity in STEM and Scripps College's influence in pro-feminism urged me to jump towards the technical field and be part of the movement to close the gender gap and to enhance diversity in socio-cultural and economic background. I strongly believe that the absence of computer science in public school districts and the stigma of a males-only field contribute to this global insufficiency.
In middle school, I loved
mathematics and the sciences, but I was mocked as the "little airheaded
girl." Heated, I utilized the next few years to show that I was different,
but not less. I gave extra effort to
eliminate the social misperceptions triggered by my gender and fragile
appearance, aspiring to be living proof that great things did come in small
packages. Now, one of my greatest regrets is not being introduced to computer
science at an earlier age. Having been in underprivileged public schools until
college, I can assure you that Computer Science was simply never a conversation
topic. It was just not as accessible to people of lower socioeconomic status.
Since Computer Science was not taught in schools, it was not important to families
and students. While administrators were busy worrying about which teachers to
lay off and how to alleviate high drop-out rates, students missed out on
discovering their potentials in the technical field. One of those students was
me.
In college, I realized my dreams
in STEM fields and continued to explore technology, research, the arts, and
leadership every day. As a representative of the 5C Women of the Association of
Computing Machinery (W-ACM), I seek to improve visibility of the computer
science world in my college community through publicity and event planning. My
biggest project will be serving on the 5C Hack-a-Thon Planning Committee in the
spring, aiming to increase student participation and closing the gender gap in
the long run. As the past Circle K International Lieutenant Governor in my
area, I have made close connections with the numerous youth groups in my
community. Combining the mission to give back to the community with my passion
for making Computer Science accessible for all, I hope to collaborate with
neighboring service groups to push for STEM education in our local school
districts.
Currently, I hope to work on this website to illustrate my journey in technology and engineering as a woman from
an underprivileged socioeconomic status. Through story-telling and photography,
I aspire to share my self-realizations and life-changing encounters.
I may only have my foot in the
door, but I plan to never lose my hunger to learn more about computer science.
Eventually, I would like to serve as an instructor or mentor for movements like
Girls Who Code and Girls Start, empowering young girls to reverse the stigma of
male domination in technology and engineering.
--
January, 2014
Chloe Shih
--
January, 2014
Chloe Shih
