Why not CEW&T? I think is the better question. Because we're all impacted by technology whether or not you think it's going to be in your job, it's in your everyday day-to-day. Definitely why not figure out where your relationship is with technology. Additionally, what I think CEW&T does phenomenally well is highlight the issues that impact women and women and technology. I just love knowing that through empowering other women, we are changing the future. I was working with the tech industry and I was one of the only women and that made me realize that what we are doing here matters and that women and technology are strong and powerful and what we do should count. I wanted to join CEW&T because of all the learning opportunities they have for women and technology. They have workshops, conferences, crash courses, mentoring opportunities, but they also allow for you to grow your network as a woman in technology, and as a professional, which was really important to me. When young girls come to the CEW&T Summit, they get a real sense that they're not alone. And that, even though they might be the only girl in their coding class, they're not alone in general; there's a big support group here for them that's backing them up and behind them and supporting them through everything and we really want to let those girls know that CEW&T is always there for them, and not just during the conference, but throughout their whole college career. I got involved with CEW&T because I noticed a problem with men, one, not knowing the issues that women face in technology and the challenges they face, and two, not having a space to talk about those issues, or be able to really make an impact in being an ally for those women because they just don't know how. I wanted to create a space for men to have those conversations about gender equity and about allyship, and how to be an advocate for women in this sphere. So it's not just about the hard tech skills too, right? With CEW&T, I've learned how to manage an intern group, I've learned how to take criticism, how to connect with people, how to do all of these really great things that a regular job or internship might not teach you in a way that CEW&T does and I think its because its full of a community that supports each other and breaks down those barriers. The experience here was amazing; I met a lot of different people, made a lot of connections, really good connections, not only with employers but a lot of friends and people who share the same interests and passions as me. I think that CEW&T is doing a really good job at making women from all different educational backgrounds realize that they have a place in tech, and that they have a future that involves technology and we can do anything we set our mind to. I have the groundwork for what I need to get that job that I've been wanting for years, but I've placed on the back burner. And it really was all because of CEW&T, and I feel like that is the primary goal of CEW&T, is to prepare women for the field of technology. Not even just technology, but for whatever field they're in, preparing them with those technical skills. CEW&T gave me the opportunity to attend Grace Hopper, through that opportunity, I was able to have a mentor who, she's in the same field that I was interested in going into, maintaining connections with her, as well as I got out of it a job at Accenture, which I was really excited about. I remember going into the conference extremely nervous and worried about my performance, but through the support from the other interns as well as Michelle, I think I came out of it with a big impact on how I viewed myself and technology. CEW&T provides a community and a sense of belonging to people that are in a field that's maybe underrepresented. Iknow that, for me, being in my field, I've sat in a class where I was one of two girls in a room full of men; that can be uncomfortable. Having CEW&T to back me up, even if they're not in the room, I know I have a support system and I know IM not the only one. CEW&T bringing those issues to light, not only issues of technology and lack of equity in those fields, initially trying to get us to be able to be at the forefront of those issues and get us to understand why it matters, why representation matters. It is so important, and it is such a wonderful part of CEW&T's mission. That's why CEW&T.
