Han Pham, a software engineer with the Walt Disney Co., was intimidated by computers in high school, and really didn’t think a tech career was in the cards.
“I was like, coding is just not a viable option,” she said, speaking at the recent SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit, presented by Women in Technology Hollywood (WiTH). “But luckily, later on in the last years of high school, I got the opportunity to be part of the Girls Who Code summer immersion program and fell in love with coding.”
That led to Pham being introduced to STEM Advantage, one of several nonprofits supported by WiTH. “And it’s been so pivotal to my journey into tech,” she said, noting that the program not only provided financial aid for books and allowed her entry into college courses she otherwise wouldn’t have taken, the program also provided a mentor and
technical interview prep courses.
“Above all, I think my favorite thing STEM Advantages has given me is a network,” Pham said. “I get to attend amazing events like these [and] that’s helped me so much. … Through connecting with the individuals here that were open to taking my email, I got mentorship and now even turned some interview rejections into interview opportunities. And now I finally get to work in my dream industry as a software engineer.”
Pham’s story was one of many shared during the panel “Lasting Impact: Empowering the WiTH Community,” which showcased the results of WiTH’s community engagement efforts, with beneficiaries of Codetalk, the Women’s Empowerment Institute, DIY Girls and more offering real-world examples of why these programs are important.
“That is the power of the WiTH community: we rally behind supporting [others] and we send the elevator back down … and we pay it forward,” said April Schneider, board members with the WiTH Foundation and VP of IT, IP management and general counsel for Sony Pictures Entertainment. “It’s because of this community that Han was able to be ready for that job at Disney World at Walt Disney Company.
“I just wanted to highlight how impactful these organizations are to the lives of these individuals.”
For Alyssa Rubalcava, a DIY Girls alumna and UCLA student majoring in molecular, cell, and developmental biology, it wasn’t the grades (straight As), it wasn’t the extra-curriculars (she did sports and volunteering), it was finding the right support structure. That’s what DIY Girls did for her, she said. And her mom signed her up without asking.
“And it was one of the greatest things that she could have ever done for me because I had the tools, I knew how to get things done, I know how to problem solve, but I didn’t know how to put into action,” Rubalcava said. “… It was with DIY girls that we were able to put [ideas] into action. We did everything. We brainstormed, we developed, we 3D printed, we coded. We worked with different engineers and different mentors that helped us and gave us ideas.
“What I love about DIY girls is the fact that not only are they teaching engineering skills and coding skills to the girls in San Fernando Valley, but they’re also allowing for them to learn the important lesson of giving back to the community.”
Frejya Lindh Hernandez, a Codetalk alumna and web designer for the St Joseph Center, praised Codetalk for the help the group provided with her professional development and getting her ready for entry level tech jobs.
“I [found] a new focus. I found something that I was good at that I didn’t know that I was good at. I was good at coding,” she said. “Who knew? I thought I was an art history person. It helped me find a focus and to hone on skills. And I needed the support that that program offered both emotionally and structurally and to see that there was a light and that there was something to works towards and that I had that opportunity. It really sparked me.”
Madison Ma, an alumna with Technology Goddesses and now a senior engineer for Qualcomm, got an early start: she connected with the nonprofit in second grade.
“I worked my way through [the Technology Goddesses] pipeline, and now I’m the director of technology at the camp,” she said. “So, I’m working with the seven through 12th graders that are enthusiastic about technology.
“What do you want to learn? What do we want to teach the kids? We go from there and we’re working throughout the year to develop that curriculum, and it’s really great. [Technology Goddesses is] one of those organizations [that gets] the kids excited about robotics and engineering.”
Co-located with the Infinity Festival at the famed AVALON Hollywood nightclub and events space, the full-day Summit was sponsored by Amazon Web Services, Ateliere, Fortinet, Microsoft, Fincons Group, Qvest and Point B, with the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA) and EIDR serving as association partners.