After joining Ryder in 2015, I was introduced to ITWomen through a key vendor who is also a member of the ITWomen Board – Jen Boyer.  She discussed the exciting opportunities that ITWomen was offering through their professional development events, robotics camps, field trips, internships and scholarships to advance STEM engagement in young women in underprivileged areas of South Florida.  At that time, my only exposure to ITWomen was through attendance at their events and networking throughout the organization.  However, over the past year, I have been more engaged than ever.  In April, Ryder hosted ITWomen for a professional development event entitled, “Agile Transformation in the Enterprise.”  I spoke together with industry peers and top-rated Agile coaches, giving insights into Ryder’s journey and lessons learned during our transformation.

In May, I was one of three ITWomen Scholarship Selection Committee members, helping ITWomen select their 2018 scholarship recipients. The application, evaluation, and award process were all very thorough, ensuring that every applicant was thoughtfully reviewed and considered throughout the evaluation.  Once we arrived at the in-person interview rounds, I was encouraged to see how many applicants had previously participated in an ITWomen program.   Personally, it was exciting to see the impact made by the ITWomen Robotics and Coding summer camps, internships and corporate tours.  Young women who typically would not have access to these programs are able to get exposure to new concepts that have ultimately influenced their future interests and potential careers.  In fact, several of the participants identified their ITWomen experience as the motivator to pursuing careers in IT and engineering.

Evaluating the applicants and meeting the scholarship finalists in person was an eye-opener. In addition to the high academic standards required for the award, each finalist had personally overcome challenging circumstances, while continuing to demonstrated social leadership, engage in community service, and genuinely demonstrate a selfless generosity remarkable for girls their age. As a mother of three who strives to provide an infrastructure of support for my own children, I was inspired to see how ITWomen can help provide that type of support to girls who might otherwise have none.

In June, I was able to meet the scholarship award recipients once again, together with their families at the ITWomen Scholarship Awards Dinner.  The girls and their supportive family members were treated to an evening dinner and celebration where they were awarded with additional gifts and donations to help them in their college journeys.  The smiles on the faces of these amazing young women and their proud parents and relatives were truly touching.  It was extremely gratifying be a part of the process that helped these young women get one step closer to their higher education, careers and dreams.

In September, I will participate again as a panelist in the 2018 ITWomen Leadership Summit.  In addition to supporting ITWomen’s youth programs, I believe it is critical to share our personal stories and knowledge with local women and industry peers to help us all continue to grow in our careers.   I hope my story will encourage others to get more involved as volunteers with ITWomen.  I can tell you from experience; it has been very fulfilling and rewarding.