Announcing the 2020 Women in Technology Scholarship Winner

Announcing the 2020 Women in Technology Scholarship Winner

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Thank you to everyone who applied to the 2020 Pathable Women in Computing Scholarship! We received several thoughtful and high-quality submissions this year from passionate students across the country. 

After reviewing all of the entries, we’re excited to announce that California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo (SLO) freshman Andrea Santos is our scholarship winner for 2020.

Pathable 2020 Scholarship Winner_ Andrea Santos

Andrea is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science at California Polytechnic State University – SLO with a concentration in Interactive Entertainment.

 

Passion and determination from ‘STEM’ to stern

As a first-generation college student Andrea has a clear vision for her path forward. She plans to leverage her love for technology to give back to her community. Having given more than 200 hours of service, she’s a passionate volunteer. 

“I strive to make advancements in assistive technologies to provide a better quality of life and experiences to those who are living with disabilities. I am also making efforts to introduce youth to careers in STEM… I hope to ignite their passions and inspire their desire to acquire higher education in Engineering and other STEM fields… With the integration of more diverse peoples, I hope it will [help] technology progress.”

What does the scholarship mean to Andrea?

“Being chosen as a recipient for this scholarship makes me feel emotionally and financially supported,” she said. Knowing that others understand and support my dreams makes me want to work even harder in my academics.” 

We asked what fueled her passion for computer science. Her response is what set the 2020 Women in Computing Scholarship winner’s application apart from more than 100 submissions:

“[I want to] help open the door to the technological community for at-risk youth and minorities, while also contributing to assistive technology programs and equipment. As a Hispanic woman of a first-generation college attending family, I have faced many racial challenges. I want to share my experiences and failures with youth. I want to show that with enough passion and determination, you can achieve greatness.”

Do you want to achieve greatness in science, technology, engineering, and math? Watch this space for details on how to apply for 2021.

The need for women pursuing STEM degrees is greater than ever. Pathable is committed to raising awareness around the issue of equity in STEM for women and looks forward to supporting more female students who hope to achieve excellence in the field of science, technology, engineering, and math. 

The Pathable Women in Computer Science Scholarship was founded when event app company Founder and CEO Jordan Schwartz heard the following statistic:

Women earn 57% of all undergraduate degrees, 52% of all math and science undergraduate degrees, 42% of all math and statistics degrees, 40% of all physical science degrees, but only 18% of all computer and information sciences undergraduate degrees. 

With this annual $1,000 scholarship, Pathable hopes to bridge the gap between men and women in computer science-related fields.