PDXWIT’s 2019 Fall Scholarship Sends Six Recipients to Tech Events
For many of us in the tech industry, attending tech conferences and workshops is vital to our career growth. These gatherings offer us the opportunity to learn from experts in the field and connect with one another. It gives us the chance to develop a network of peers and opens doors that may otherwise have remained closed.
But let’s face it: Tech conferences are also perfect representations of what’s wrong with the industry as a whole. Events like these are expensive and hard to access for many, and often dominated by a white, mostly male audience.
PDXWIT saw this as an opportunity to lend a hand to those who may find tech conferences inaccessible. In the spring of 2018, PDXWIT opened its first applications for The Investing in You scholarship.
This is the fourth round of the Investing in You Scholarship. This round was sponsored by TechTownPDX with funding from Prosper Portland, and with their help, PDXWIT was able to secure $12,000 to go towards the scholarship fund. The scholarship committee reviewed 80 applications from people both in the tech industry currently, as well as students and those interested in transitioning to tech.
Meet the Winners of PDXWIT’s Investing in You 2019 Fall Round
Ochuko Ruth Akpovbovbo | Student | Adobe Summit 2020
“Attending the Adobe Digital Experience Summit will give me access to learning and hands-on experiences with the latest advancements in technology. I will transfer this knowledge to the women I hope to work with next summer and my own start-up pursuits. Also, the knowledge and connections I gain from this conference will help me more easily pursue a career in technology given that I am a junior economics major with a limited technical background.”
LaToya Bailey | Hardware Engineer | The Annual Convention of the National Society for Black Engineers
“Attending the event will impact my career and my life by allowing me to connect and network with other black women in tech like myself, learn new skills, and explore new opportunities for professional growth – and it will be fun too!”
Gaby Lasala | Multi-Media Journalist and Student | ConveyUX
“Attending ConveyUX Conference will be the next stepping stone in my goal of switching careers into UX Design. I’ve been studying it on my own for the last year but know it’s time to actively move towards this goal. I believe this conference will provide me with more confidence and opportunities as I continue to move in this direction and hope that it will provide me with a greater understanding of the broader UX field as I plan to attend a UX Design Immersive Program Summer/Fall of 2020. In addition, I hope it opens up opportunities for me to be able to eventually land a UX position in Portland – something that appears to be difficult for many folks hoping to transition into the UX Design field here.”
Jenka Soderberg | Web/New Media Coordinator | DrupalCon
“Attending this conference will be a great opportunity for me to improve my skills and connect with coders working on Drupal sites for independent media. This will help me in my plans to build custom Drupal modules for media websites like KBOO.”
Kelly Iverson | Software Engineer | PyCon
“Attending the annual U.S. PyCon is one of the best ways for me to keep in touch with the global Python community.”
Esti Shay | Software Engineer | LSC's Innovations in Technology Conference
“I'm looking forward to learning about current trends in legal tech and legal aid, and networking with others who want to use our skills to improve access to the US justice system.”
About the PDXWIT Scholarship
The goal of the scholarship is to support underrepresented folks in tech who are effecting change in their communities by covering the costs of technology-related or women-in-business conferences and workshops around the country. The maximum award amount is $2,500 per scholarship awardee, and funds awarded can cover conference registration, travel costs, and daily expenses. Recipients must be located in the greater Portland/Salem/Vancouver metro area and over the age of 18.
PDXWIT takes the diversity of its awardees very seriously. Committee members reviewing scholarship applicants are given an unconscious bias training and encouraged to reach out to the committee if they find themselves struggling with reviewing an applicant for any reason. Each application is reviewed by several people to ensure that there is a consensus among reviewers and the committee before choosing an awardee.
By the Numbers
Since its inception, PDXWIT’s Investing in You Scholarship has offered over $40,000 towards conference fees, including food, lodging, and travel expenses related to the conference.
In 2018 and 2019, this scholarship has empowered 21 people to attend conferences all over the country.
For this round of scholarships, 80 applications received an average of three reviews each from 21 volunteer reviewers.
To support future scholarships and PDXWIT’s continued work advancing inclusion in tech, please consider making a donation.