#InvestingInYou, more than ever before

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PDXWIT is thrilled to announce that THIRTEEN scholarships were awarded to the Spring 2021 #InvestingInYou cohort, breaking our previous record for the most scholarship funds awarded in a single cycle. 

From coding boot camps and classes, virtual conferences to purchasing new laptops and home office equipment, these recipients are receiving funds that will directly support them as they pursue and advance their careers in the industry. The winners range from seasoned tech employees to folks entering the industry for the first time.

The pandemic’s impact on scholarship recipients

From losing loved ones, to getting laid off, to having kids in the midst of lockdown, to mental health struggles, all scholarship recipients were transformatively affected by the pandemic. While many of the effects were devastating, the pandemic also opened new doors for them. One recipient who lives in Portland was able to use her scholarship funds to help cover her tuition for an educational opportunity based in New York that she could complete remotely. Another recipient used the funds to help make their long-awaited pivot into tech after losing their job in the hospitality industry. Several recipients shared that COVID provided them with the chance to dig deep and determine where they wanted to extend their energy, and what they wanted to let go. The scholarship gave them an added boost towards those newly defined priorities. 

An ever-evolving model

Historically, the #InvestingInYou scholarship funded tech conference registration fees and associated travel and lodging costs. Beginning with the spring 2020 round, the program was adapted to support virtual learning as well as hardware and software to support professional development. We have seen tremendous value in the updated version of the scholarship program, and while eventually PDXWIT may fund tech conference experiences again, we plan to continue to offer scholarships for coding classes, hardware and software. These offerings provide a baseline level of access for an individual to explore a career in tech, which is a critical part of PDXWIT’s mission. 

A new added benefit to the scholarship program this round is professional coaching with Lori Eberly, an executive coach and the founder of Radius. 

By the Numbers

  • Since its inception in 2018, the #InvestingInYou scholarship program has been able to empower 49 people with scholarships.

  • Nearly $75,000 has been distributed to the PDXWIT community to go towards class/conference/bootcamp fees, software/hardware + home office needs, as well as food, lodging, and travel expenses for in-person conferences.

  • For this round of scholarships, 44 applications received an average of three reviews each from nine volunteer reviewers. All reviewers received anti-bias training prior to reviewing applications.

Congratulations to all thirteen recipients and to everyone who applied for this round. Every single applicant was deserving of a scholarship. We hope that those who applied and were not selected will apply again in the future. 

We want to give a huge shout out to those who volunteered their time to review applications, and thank you to Amazon Web Services for sponsoring this cycle of scholarships. To support future scholarships and PDXWIT’s continued work advancing inclusion in tech, please consider making a donation.

PDX Women in Technology