GitLab recently partnered with STEM Gems, an organization creating awareness of successful women in STEM, to inspire girls and give them STEM role models. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) pervades every aspect of our lives; everything can be tied to technology in some way, shape, or form. Given the constant expansion of technology, career prospects are endless. One would think STEM is the number one pursued career path right?
Surprisingly, according to the US Department of Commerce, in 2017 only 24 percent of women worked in STEM. Another harsh reality is that women who hold STEM degrees are less likely than their male counterparts to pursue a STEM career. In fact, women are more likely to work in education or healthcare.
Driven by the low numbers, STEM Education advocate Stephanie Espy strived to make a change. Espy created STEM Gems, an organization that began as a book filled with inspiring women in STEM. The book was the stepping stone for a greater initiative to create awareness for the successful female powerhouses in STEM, as well as provide girls with role models to look up to.
Girls who have STEM role models are more likely to pursue opportunities outside their traditional realm, and STEM Gems is making it possible for girls to connect with them. Role models, mentors, and career ambassadors inspire and empower girls to achieve their dreams.
At our recent summit in South Africa, forty GitLab team-members came together for an epic power hour of delving into each other's professional pathways and identifying challenges. Participants were paired up and asked to interview each other about their individual careers, goals, and accomplishments. This included the significant others of GitLab team-members and men interested in learning more about making GitLab inclusive. Through this event, we were able to strengthen our relationships and identify ways to foster a culture of inclusion. The event also provided greater visibility into the challenges and barriers women in STEM face.
GitLab is building a community where everyone can thrive. We've gathered together the stories and photos of the GitLab team-members that participated in the event. In this post, and in a follow-up post, we will share each of these amazing stories. We want to inspire and encourage girls to set Big Goals and pursue every dream and remember you’ll always have a friend at GitLab!
Name: Jenny Nguyen (right)
Role: Payroll and Payments Lead
Why is what you do important?
I handle payroll and expense reimbursement, making sure all our team members get paid and reimbursed on time.
What is something you are really proud of?
I helped save a previous company $2 million by applying technical logic to processes.
Did you know you wanted to work in tech when you were growing up? If not, what did you THINK you wanted to be?
No, I started my undergrad with Business major and took programming as an elective class. My teacher encouraged me to change my major to Computer Science and Software Engineering, but I didn't have an opportunity to be in a technical position. However, I have applied my technical knowledge and aptitude from school to reduce manual processes within my functions for the past 10 years.
If you could give advice to a girl thinking about a career in tech, what would it be?
As a non-technical person, I want them to know that they don’t have to have a career in technology to have and utilize their own technical skills. Every function needs input from technical and non-technical perspectives.
