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Last month, the Student Government Association along with the Center for Leadership and Student Involvement, career services, and the computer science department banded together to send 10 Colgate students to the Grace Hopper Celebration in Houston, Texas. The event took place from Sept. 26 through 28.

The conference, named in honor of the renowned American mathematician, U.S. Navy rear admiral, and computer tech pioneer is the world’s largest gathering of women in technology.

Students networked with company representatives and attended workshops and presentations on a variety of topics from leadership to emerging technology. Grace Hopper provided interviewing opportunities for both internships and full-time jobs, as well as professional development activities, a career fair, and more.

During the course of the conference, students gathered with alumnae — some in town for the Grace Hopper Celebration, others residing in the Houston area — for a networking reception, hosted by Kerry Inman ’79 at Inman Gallery. Professor Michael Hay gave an update from the computer science department and an overview of what’s happening on campus.

Colgate computer science students at the 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration

“I was really inspired by keynote speaker Jessica O. Matthews, founder and CEO of Uncharted Power, who spoke of the importance of increasing diversity in the tech industry,” said Brittney Chin ’21. “I learned about the multitude of ways computer science can be used in the workplace and gained insight on job and internship opportunities available to me.”

The celebration also offered a platform for women in STEM to come together and feel a sense of community. “I’ve never been surrounded by so many computer science majors in my life, not to mention female computer science majors,” said Abigail Waxler ’19. “It was a really unique and rewarding experience to have so much in common with everyone around me.”

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