Staying Ambitious

In fall of 2014, Case Western Reserve University’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department sent its first group of women to the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. Nine women, including both undergraduate and graduate students, spent three days with 8,000 others in Phoenix, AZ learning how to lead confidently in their field, make connections with women all over the world, and hear from some of the top women in computing.

This year, we’re looking to inspire a new group of women, and we’ve raised the bar for ourselves. In the months since our last Grace Hopper trip, Women in Computing has been gaining some traction and generating buzz on campus. Our EECS women are increasing their visibility and being proud of their work. They’re telling their own stories and blogging about their technical work from hackathons and classes. Professors are speaking up, making changes, and being active allies. Though there has been growth in every department this year, there are now 60 women in the EECS department and counting, up from 43 from last year.

Most importantly, the women who were supported last year are now giving back by lifting the next group up and organizing the next trip. This coming year, they’re getting more ambitious. All nine women were incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend last year, and this year CWRU EECS and Hacker Society have set our sights even higher to give more women the same wonderful experience.

The department has set a goal of sending twenty women to the 2015 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Houston, TX.

Our department is looking to cover most of the cost again, but will need help to guarantee the cost is covered for all twenty women. Last year, our alumni made all the difference for us, sweeping in to cover the cost of flights. We’re asking for help once again.

CWRU has a matching program that starts April 7th. CWRU will match alumni donations dollar for dollar to the cause. Every time you donate $10 to the trip, you tell CWRU that they should be spending $10 to inspire and empower the next generation of women in their Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department. If you’re interested in helping out, please donate here.