#InvestingInYou: Announcing the Spring 2022 Cohort!
As our Fall scholarship cycle draws near, we’d like to introduce you to some of our 2022 Spring #InvestingInYou scholarship winners! This cycle, we had a record number of applications and gave away nearly $10,000 to 10 recipients across the country. Recipients ranged from students looking for financial support to finish their degree requirements, to professionals needing laptop upgrades or seeking funding support for certifications and courses.
We asked scholarship recipients how they heard about the scholarship and how the funds would impact their careers. Here’s what some of them said:
“My friend in tech sent me the scholarship encouraging me to apply. This scholarship would enable me to start to use the skills I develop in tech to connect mental wellness practices to digital technologies. I am committed to making sure that new technological advances do not continue to progress in the current state, which is to not consider the wellbeing of Black folks.” –Jasmine Briscoe
“I heard about the scholarship through the PDXWIT newsletter. I look forward to inspiring other women to get into the drone industry and change the percent of women drone pilots from 7% to 50%.”
–Pauline Petersen
“As an ‘Accidental Salesforce Admin’ at a local non-profit serving Latina woman in Washington county, this scholarship will not only allow me to solidify my own professional credentials by paying for me to further my Salesforce experiences and certifications, but it ultimately serves to empower a larger community of women in the Portland metro to identify and follow their goals.” –Sally Boyer
“I am a bootcamp student and can not afford buying a laptop for myself; I heard about this scholarship from PDXWIT slack channel, and definitely it would be very helpful in my journey.” –Marjan Abdollahi
About the program
Launched in 2018 with the goal of creating baseline access for individuals exploring a career in tech, our #InvestingInYou scholarship program has distributed over $100k in funds to dozens of tech professionals, covering everything from conference expenses to home office upgrades.
After our Fall 2021 scholarship cycle, we reflected on ways we could reduce barriers to this funding opportunity. Beginning with this latest cycle, we reduced the number of application questions and removed the option for applicants to submit supplemental materials. This would help give those at the beginning of their career journey a fair shot at receiving support. Our scholarship program is now open to PDXWIT members anywhere in the US, with a select number of slots reserved for community members living in the Pacific Northwest.
Our Spring 2022 scholarship cycle was made possible by AWS, Cambia Health Solutions, and Kiva.
Highlighting the need for access to tech hardware
Since opening up the scholarship to fund needs beyond tech conferences in 2020, one thing we’ve noticed is that hardware funding requests, specifically for laptops, is common. Examples of this need range from a household only having one shared computer, to an applicant needing a laptop to continue developing their portfolio post-bootcamp. In the coming year, PDXWIT hopes to create a direct pathway to meet this basic access need, opening up new possibilities for applicants to the #InvestingInYou scholarship program.
What’s next for #InvestingInYou?
We’re excited to partner with Matrix Networks during our Fall 2022 cycle to offer applicants the option to either apply for the regular PDXWIT scholarship (up to $1500 for career development needs), or to Matrix’s CCNA certification sponsorship. Applications will open at 9 a.m. on September 12th, 2022, so stay tuned!
And if you are in a space where you don’t need the financial support but want to give that gift to someone, consider making a contribution to PDXWIT. No gift is too small to make a difference.