GWC @ GS: The girls’ perspective
This summer, Goldman Sachs hosted Girls Who Code for the fifth year in a row, and we’re excited to share the girls’ experience in the program. A series of questions were asked to highlight the participants’ perspective on the program and their view of future career opportunities in engineering and computer science.
1. Growing up, what did you want to be in the future?
“Growing up, my dream career changed constantly,” said Ariah. “When I was younger, whenever I was asked the question ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ My answer was ‘Well, from 9 am to 3pm on Mondays, I’m going to be a vet. Then from 3 pm- 5 pm I’m going to be a teacher”, added Rivka Bella.
In summary, Ariah explained that as she grew up, her career goals evolved: “The common threads found within all of my aspirational career paths is the desire to think critically and creatively, and to impact society in a constructive way.”
Alexis echoed her sentiments by saying, “Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always known that I wanted to do something that would change the world and inspire others at the same time.”
2. Has your perception changed since GWC? If yes, how?
Within a few short weeks, GWC participants were able to develop coding and programming skills, and also had the opportunity to learn more about the computer science field by meeting with senior women in Goldman Sachs’ Technology Division. GWC participants explained how these experiences have increased their confidence levels and positively affected their view of the computer science and technology sectors.
Ariah shared: “GWC has given me the confidence to pursue the computer science side of my ideal career path. I have always been interested in computer science, but never felt secure enough in my own abilities genuinely put myself out there and learn.”
Brittany explained that Girls Who Code had opened up a new potential career path for her. She said, “After the first week of GWC I realized that I really like coding. I now face a decision that did not exist before GWC, which is ‘what do I want to major in now that I have found something new that I am in love with’?”
Rivka Bella noted that computer science differed from her initial expectation of the field: “I never dreamed that computer programming was creative, stimulating, its own method of storytelling. GWC has opened up doors to places whose shores I wouldn’t have even touched.”
3. Do you think you want to pursue a STEM major in college?
Reflecting on their experience in GWC, each participant mentioned that they are considering a core or secondary major in STEM.
Ariah said, “As of now I am seriously considering a double major between design and STEM. Art has always been extremely important to my family and me. The advanced technology we have today has opened up a world of amazing mediums for art, and I cannot wait to learn and explore all of its intricacies and possibilities available.”
Alexis, Brittany and Rivka Bella mentioned with certainty that they would definitely consider majoring in Computer Science, Cybersecurity or other STEM fields that will fuel their creative side.
4. What inspires you to wake up in the morning?
Ariah spoke about the various activities she partakes throughout the summer- “When I am not at GWC… I try to read two books a month, and I write a journal entry for my blog every day. I have a passion for art and design; I try to complete a full portrait using Adobe Illustrator each week. As for studying, I make sure to take plenty of ACT practice tests and give myself lots of review time.”
In a similar vein, Brittany’s passion for her activities inspires her each day. She said, “My inspiration to wake up in the morning is cooking. I love to make breakfast and I love to cook, so I immediately make breakfast when I wake up.”
Alexis explained how she approaches each day: “The first thing I think of when I wake up is the endless outcomes that can come out of the present day. I am a true believer that every day can bring infinite possibilities.”
Rivka Bella echoed her sentiments by adding, “…a single mindset pushes me to peel off my covers. The idea is that no matter what yesterday was like; no matter if it was a good day or a hard day, today is the day. I have the power to make new decisions, mold myself into a better person, enhance the way I interact with people and make new connections.”
Whether their day has a strict agenda or not, these girls wake up ready to conquer the day that lies ahead of them- with steadfast passions and a desire to change the world, they are the leaders of tomorrow!
As evidenced by their responses, these girls organize their days inspired by their goals, and use a critical and analytical lens to look at all the work they do in school- a skill that is absolutely essential for the engineers of the future to be equipped with.
5. What have you been working on? What has been the most impactful part of your project? What has been the most challenging aspect of it?
“Over the last four weeks we have done a series of smaller projects, such as developed video games, web pages, blogs, and different algorithms. The most impactful project for me has been the personal web page we started creating and continue to work on periodically,” said Ariah.
“During the daily modules, my classmates and I work on anything from coding our own portfolios in HTML and styling them with CSS, coding robots with Arduino, defining logic with Python and Java Script, and so much more,” added Alexis.
The girls have been exposed to a variety of different projects throughout the GWC program, and are in the process of brainstorming ideas for their final projects. These go beyond just simple thoughts- they have the ability to make an impact once completed!
Brittany explained, “We have discussed creating a platform where people who suffer from depression can easily access resources to help them and educate themselves and others about it. The most impactful part so far has been that we have created an open space within our small group.”
Rivka Bella shared, “I’ve been working on setting up a blog website. The most challenging piece of the project was patience; learning not to get frustrated when I had ten errors popping up every time I tried to load my website. It was the time and energy that I spent on my website, though, that made it all the more so rewarding when it finally worked!”
Hard skills aside, the girls take pride in the patience, attention to detail, and outlet for creativity they have found by coding through GWC at Goldman Sachs.
6. What is your perception of the ideal workplace? Has your experience at Goldman Sachs lived up to that perception? If yes, how?
The girls entered GWC as sophomores and juniors in high school, the majority of whom did not have prior work experience in a corporate setting. Commenting on their time at Goldman Sachs,
Ariah said, “My experience at Goldman Sachs has been the complete opposite of what I thought a banking company would be. After spending just a few weeks here, I am so impressed with how innovative and forward thinking the whole company is, and the amount of diversity here is amazing.”
Alexis explained, “In an ideal work place, I imagine somewhere I feel comfortable and welcomed by my colleagues; a place that is diverse and celebrates people of all backgrounds.” Rivka Bella added, “Goldman Sachs has definitely lived up to that perception. The employees who come and speak to us are constantly mentioning how GS is constantly teaching them, how they are always learning new concepts and ideas.”
Brittany added on, “My perception of an ideal workplace is somewhere that I feel comfortable and feel that I can reach my full potential. I would like it to be a space where I can grow and learn more with a great support system behind me. “
We were thrilled to hear that the girls have found an ideal environment at the firm- one where they feel their talents and ideas can be put to good use, in collaboration with other wonderful people. “Spending time at Goldman has given me a new bar to consider when the time comes for me to pick internships and eventually, careers” added Ariah. “It is an incredible opportunity to be here at GS,” noted Rivka Bella.
7. Do you want to be a girl who codes? Why?
“Girls Who Code has truly changed my life, and outlook on career paths. Six weeks ago I had no idea what a text editor is, but now I am signed up for Advanced Computer Science at my school, and I am teaching myself Java,” said Ariah.
“I think that simply by investing my time and energy into this program I have already become a girl who codes,” she added. Alexis recognized the value she could add to technology- she highlighted the gender gap in the field and said, “I would love to be a Girl Who Codes, in order to contribute to an already amazing tech world, and offer a perspective that isn’t already overwhelmingly represented.”
Brittany told us that she wanted to continue to code outside of the program- “I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who support me, but for those girls who feel like they are being weighed down by stereotypes it is not easy for them to pursue what they love.”
Rivka Bella felt the same way when she said, “Coding is another language in the way that it allows me to be innovative with my thinking. Although I’ve only been exposed to computer programming for four weeks, the dynamic thinking and the thrill of creativity that comes with coding is something I don’t think that I’ll be able to let go of.”
We are thrilled to see how excited the girls are about coding, how favorably they look at the firm’s current environment as an ideal one for their future, how they hope to add value to the field of technology, and how passionate they are to change the world!
