#iLookLikeAnEngineer: One Year Later
Today I have all the feels.
A year and some change ago I was asked to participate in a BART station recruiting campaign as a software engineer for OneLogin…
Today in particular, marks the exact date one year ago when I shared the tweet that gave birth to #iLookLikeAnEngineer. Never in a million years would I have guessed that one year later people would still be proudly sharing the hashtag and using it as a source for building community.
Because it developed a life of its own, I’m not even aware of the entirety of the extent that it has reached(while Googling I even saw an #iLookLikeAnEngineer event in Munich Germany etc.).
So, I’d like to share some of the highlights that have been very special to me:
- When 250k+ beautiful people shared their stories: http://www.sciencealert.com/the-best-tweets-from-the-ilooklikeanengineer-hashtag
- Including Scott Kelly in space:
- And The White House:
- When Goldieblox created this Fast-Forward Girls 2015 video:
- When http://imanentrepreneurbitch.com/ created these amazing ‘I’m an engineer, bitch.’ shirts:
- When Twitter threw an #iLookLikeAnEngineer event to kick off the Twitter Flight Developer Conference:
- That time they asked me to speak on the main stage at GHC 2016 in front of 6k people:
- When I was interviewed by Google’s Made With Code:
- When this IGG got funded: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/let-s-put-up-an-ilooklikeanengineer-billboard#/
- Followed up by the sold out #iLookLikeAnEngineer Community Gathering: https://techcrunch.com/2015/08/14/the-ilooklikeanengineer-community-hosted-one-of-the-most-powerful-inspiring-tech-events-ive-ever-attended/
- When I got to speak at NASA and saw posters of my face there :O :O **giggles like school girl**
When #iLookLikeAnEngineer made it into Google’s Year in Search compilation: https://goo.gl/sABDfy
- When this happened, because Emma Watson & The UN:
- When multiple people have reached out to me and expressing that the #iLookLikeAnEngineer movement gave them the confidence that they needed to change careers and pursue learning how to code. (like this sweet lady)
- Then when TeeSpring came out with(and was profiting off of)this line of horribly tone-deaf shirts without anyone’s permission:
- And finally(my favorite part) when I got to meet some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met in my life, like this amazing human right here and the rest of our Mind Makers team:
This list doesn’t even come close to covering all of the wonderful facets of #iLookLikeAnEngineer, & I’d love to hear your story.
I am endlessly grateful to have been able to be a voice in this conversation for those who feel that they need to sacrifice pieces of their identity to be treated with respect. Some of the conversations that I have had with you after speaking at events have forever touched my heart. The stories that I’ve heard, and the tears that I have seen shed. You are not alone. The system is pretty shitty sometimes, but it takes effort from all of us to make it better.
I will continue speaking up. Embodying the principle that anyone(yes anyone;)) can be femme as **** and still kick ass at what they do.
Because #iLookLikeAnEngineer, and so do you :)
P.S I’m now a software engineer under the Driver Engagement umbrella at Uber and my team is hiring. If you’re interested in solving some really interesting challenges with some really passionate/smart/kind humans, send me a resume/cover letter and what position you’re interested in at isis@ilooklikeanengineer.com!
Xo, Isis Anchalee
