Applications are open for the Spring 2010 round of Anita Borg Systers Pass-it-on (PIO) Awards. We asked guest blogger Erin ‘Ed’ Donahue to reflect back on the impact of the PIO award she received when the program launched in 2007. Here is what she wrote.
Guest Blogger: Erin ‘Ed’ Donahue
When I was a junior at DePauw University, I applied for and was awarded a Pass-It-On Award to help build up our Women in Computer Science (WiCS) student organization! Receiving a Pass-It-On Award was a catalyst for so many positive things that started happen in my life.
For WiCS, this was huge; we had funding. We could plan events that required supplies, like participating in Art Attack, where we encouraged children’s interest in technology through arts & crafts. We were able to invite speakers from up to an hour away because we could reimburse mileage. We started planning more workshops and events and we could even offer refreshments.
Nothing increases attendance (on a college campus) quite like food. As WiCS started hosting better-attended events, a core group of members who saw each other at every event started to form. I was watching a support system fall into place.
This core group of WiCS members became involved in other areas of campus as well. Several of us decided we wanted to live together, so we applied for a Computer Science theme house through DePauw Housing and our proposal was accepted. Living in the CS House was a blast! No one looked at you a little funny when you got super-excited about the latest technology news or when you did a happy dance because your code compiled. Living in our co-ed CS House helped me see not everyone understands everything all the time. Struggles in classes or with projects aren’t gender specific. This revelation was essential to being able to ask questions in class since previously, I thought no one else would have the same question. My senior year, much to my benefit, I was constantly raising my hand and asking questions.
Also in my senior year, I was able to go to the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) for the first time and what an exciting and beautifully overwhelming experience it was! I applied for and received a full scholarship to go to GHC (you should apply too!). Being involved with the revived WiCS organization (I think) was a major deciding factor in receiving a scholarship. I had leadership experience, I was passionate about supporting women in technology, and I had a plan for how to share my GHC experience with other WiCS members upon my return.
My first GHC was wildly successful. I had submitted my resume to the Resume Database beforehand and as a result, several companies had contacted me to set up interviews at GHC! One of my interviews led to a job offer for a full-time position as a software engineer with Lockheed Martin, where I’m currently working.
Along with a job offer as a result of GHC, Ashley (my roommate at the time) and I decided a few days before GHC started that we wanted to video blog the conference. We started Ed & Ashley’s 5 Minute Show to focus on women in technology. We realized there was a shortage of visible women role models in technology and what better place to find great role models than GHC? Our first year of the show was quite successful and our second year has been even better! It’s so amazing to speak to these inspiring women and to hear about their experiences and what advice they have.
I loved being involved with WiCS! Being involved with WiCS positively impacted my life in so many ways: leadership experience, building my professional network (a must as a student!), meeting some of my closest friends, and helping me get to my very first Grace Hopper Celebration. Going to my first GHC was fabulous. I met inspiring women, I started Ed & Ashley’s 5 Minute Show with Ashley, and I got a job! All of that could have never happened if we didn’t revive WiCS as student organization, and getting funding from the Pass-It-On Award jump-started everything.
Even though I’ve graduated from DePauw, I still get to hear great things about WiCS and the women who are leading the organization now. With the Pass-It-On Award, I was able to revive a support system for women and create opportunities for other students to have positive and meaningful experiences around technology, just as I did.
To learn more about the award, go to the Systers Pass-It-On Awards Program page.
November 6th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
[...] Systers Pass-it-on: An Award with Impact by Erin 'Ed' Donahue … [...]
November 13th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
[...] women’s names sound familiar? Ed blogged for ABI last week about the positive impacts of her 2007 Systers Pass-it-on Award. She and Ashley are also the video bloggers behind Ed & Ashley’s 5 Minute Show, where [...]