This fall, Grace Hopper reopened its conference to in person attendees after two years of only offering a virtual option.  Founded in 1994, Anita Borg’s Grace Hopper Celebration is touted as the largest annual gathering of women in computing. Its “programs empower women and under-tapped communities in technical fields, guide the organizations that employ them, and support the academic institutions training the next generation.”   

In September, the Computer Science and Statistics department sent 11 students to the Grace Hopper Celebration in Orlando, FL. With panels and presentations all three days, there was plenty to do and our students had the opportunity to be inspired by thousands of women with careers in STEM. Corporate sponsors such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, along with many others, were in attendance and interviewing attendees for positions within their companies. Several of our students were able to make connections and interview for positions that sparked their interest. 

A senior in Computer Science, Olivia Emery, had an opportunity to set up an interview with Boeing while at the conference. Olivia recently reached out to let us know that she had accepted the position of a Support Equipment Software Engineer and would be moving to St Louis Missouri after graduation. “ I wanted to thank you guys so much for allowing me to go to Grace Hopper because it allowed me this amazing opportunity and I definitely do not think I would have gotten an opportunity this great without it! “