Meet the Winners of the Fall 2020 #InvestingInYou Scholarship
In the fall, PDXWIT opened applications for our twice annual #InvestingInYou scholarship program. Thanks to presenting sponsor TechTown PDX powered by Prosper Portland, we were able to award ten scholarships – a new record for the program!
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. There is also an increased emphasis on supporting individuals to pivot into tech from other industries, and using this scholarship as a jumping off point to do that.
We are thrilled to be able to offer this scholarship to members of our community, particularly at a time like this. Financial barriers can make certain opportunities inaccessible, and by alleviating some of the burden, we sincerely hope we can give folks the support they need to level up in their careers.
The scholarship winners are using their awards to fund coding boot camps and classes, attend virtual conferences, and purchase new laptops and home office equipment. The winners, who all live in the greater Portland area, range from seasoned tech employees to folks entering the industry for the first time.
Meet the Winners
Eboni Staryce | Computer Information Sciences student at PCC
I heard about the scholarship from the Women Who Code Twitter page and also through contacts at school and PDX Code Guild. The funds from the scholarship will help me take classes to further my knowledge in web development which I hope to turn into a successful freelancing career.
Christine Castro | UX Designer
Attending the NN/g UX Conference will give me an opportunity to polish my skills and earn a UX certificate. I learned about the scholarship through the PDX website and believe that this scholarship will put me one step closer to achieving my career goals.
Deenie Wallace | Frontend Developer
This scholarship has empowered me with the hardware necessary to begin freelance work while discovering my next full time position. It has also allowed me to begin a game development course through Unity to become a Certified Associate: Programmer to advance my career. PDXWIT has provided a way for me to maintain my professional stride and continue my learning path. Having reliable access to the tools I need at this time of transition and uncertainty is a tremendous boost to my family’s present and future security.
Bess Campbell | Studies C#/.NET and React at Epicodus
The Investing In You scholarship has helped me feel supported in a field that I wasn't even sure I could be a part of. When the pandemic hit I lost my job in the service industry and I started looking for my next step. This pivot to computer programming might be one of the most impactful decisions of my life. It is with the support of the scholarship but also the PDXWIT community that I continue into this industry with confidence. Thank you PDXWIT!
Gloria Coleman | IT Program Manager & MSIT University of Cincinnati grad student
With this new scrum certification ,PAL-E, I've earned the opportunity to apply and validate my agile leadership skills, which is not only adding value to my Stakeholders but spills over into my personal life of a value based mindset.
Michè Lozano (they/them) | Software Development Intern at Laika Studios
During bootcamp, I nicknamed my old macbook: "sweet time", because she took her sweet time to do everything. Love her, but I just can't rely on my 11-year-old macbook forever - believe me, I tried. If I'm going to keep growing as a developer I need to invest in upgrading my hardware too. PDXWIT has helped make that possible. There's one thing that I think is far more important than just new computer hardware though: good health, it's super important for me to stay healthy for work. Thanks to PDXWIT, I was able to get a standing desk and this has greatly improved my comfort and overall quality of life. I can confidently get back to my work with a sharp mind, in good health, and in high spirits.
Sumitra Chhetri | Student
I will be starting the Ada Developers Academy, a year-long software engineering program for women and gender diverse based in Seattle. I look forward to learning and changing my career path in Tech. I currently live in Portland Oregon and will be doing online classes until it is safe to return to in-person classes. I learned about PDXWIT through meetups and applied for scholarships. I used the scholarship to get a laptop and will be using it for school.
Leigh Grover | Behavioral Health Care Manager & student at PCC
My goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science. The funds are helping me to get started with the beginning steps by supporting me in taking a required class and prerequisite. I am hoping that this degree will change my life and career, and so the opportunity to get assistance in this process is very appreciated and valuable!
Katelinn Jones | Software Development student at Alchemy Code Lab
The scholarship went towards a new desk, chair, monitor, and online classes for added education towards software development. Previously, I was coding for class on the floor of my empty apartment. So this scholarship was a huge help for me. Also, because of the extra online education the scholarship was able to provide for me, I now feel more confident in my field of study. It gives me a "leg up" when I start applying for jobs.
By the Numbers
Since its inception in 2018, the #InvestingInYou scholarship program has been able to empower 36 people with scholarships.
Over $60,000 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 (back when those were a thing).
For this round of scholarships, 48 applications received an average of three reviews each from nine volunteer reviewers. All reviewers received anti-bias training prior to reviewing applications.
To support future scholarships and PDXWIT’s continued work advancing inclusion in tech, please consider making a donation.