Changing the Computer Science Field by Nia

Changing the Computer Science Field by Nia - July 2022 Scholarship Essay

I’m used to walking in rooms where people assume I don't belong. My cohorts have told me that they believed I would be the first to drop my high school technology program. In reality, I was one of eleven students out of thirty-three who started the program to complete it. Being raised in a predominately white environment, I’ve understood people make these assumptions based on how I look as a black woman. Interactions like these didn’t hurt me physically, but they did make me consider dropping the program to be with people who accept me. While knowing I would face these prejudices in my majorly white male field, my love for technology outweighed my fear of discrimination. Meeting this adversity has motivated me to dedicate my career to helping bring more black people & women into STEM. In the next ten years, I hope to make computer science education more inclusive and affordable to minority students.
I want to develop programs & funding that teach black people, especially black women, valuable computer science skills early. In 2018, only 8.9% of computer science degrees went to black people, and only three percent went to black women. One disadvantage I’ve noticed the black community has is that there is no real exposure to the computer science world until college. On the other hand, their counterparts can afford to be placed in STEM programs as early as middle school to develop their interest. Most minorities either can’t afford programs like those, or they're not available in their environment. This lack of previous exposure creates a huge learning gap and makes entering tech harder, especially if they don’t know the possibilities. I plan to use the information I’ve gathered from my education and participation in several technology programs to create free programs that expose kids to the tech field and decrease the learning gap.
I want to use my time at my Historically Black College University to develop apps, programs, and career opportunities that make a computer science career more attainable. I’m currently working with the computer information sciences department to start a tutoring program this Fall that will increase student retention of programming courses. In addition, I serve as a student ambassador for the computer science program. I answer questions for prospective students and help current students discover career & education programs. I plan to start a new chapter of the Google Student Developer club and the Upsilon Pi Epsilon technology honor society. These organizations will provide valuable resources and give students access to professionals & recruiters while giving students an extra outlet to grow. I want to leave my college of science and technology with an upgraded curriculum and higher graduation rates.
In ten years, I hope every little black and brown girl or boy can discover their talent in computer science. Technology is a vastly growing field that controls other fields in today’s society. It develops the products & applications that we use every day to function and saves lives. In turn, the people creating the technology need to be just as diversified as the ones using it. Different perspectives can lead to game-changing solutions that ensure minority problems are accounted for. Awarding me this scholarship will continue my mission to create new opportunities for African Americans and women in STEM. On top of the cost of attendance, I have extra expenses that have come up. I need a new laptop with the computing power to run the software I use to program my assignments and internship projects. As an out-of-state student, I pay almost three times as much in tuition & have extra costs for storage & flights to and from home. Without the help of my parents due to their debt, I afford my education through scholarships and loans. I’m currently $3,000 away from affording my Fall tuition and would greatly appreciate this scholarship.
Thank you for your time and consideration!