By: T’Neil Gooden
Girls Who Code, along with Brooklyn College’s (BC) Computer Science Club, brought three women working in computer science to share their knowledge and advice with BC students looking to learn more about the present state and future of the major.
“Our goal was to give Girls Who Code members the opportunity to connect with women working in the industry. Bringing in three women software engineers to share advice and speak with the next generation is exactly the kind of impact we hope our club can make,” said Munisa Ilhomova, the president of Girls Who Code and a senior at BC.
Students were greeted by: Amena Khan, a software engineer at Macquire Group; Oleksandra Kurbanova, a software engineer at Capital One; and Allina Khan, a former software engineer at BlackRock. These women shared their experiences within their jobs and any intel they had within the field of computer science.
When learning about being in the workforce, Amena Khan told students to “do the best you can in the beginning, and then you make mistakes, you adjust, and you keep at it. I think AI helps a lot with that, too, to be able to communicate technical concepts to people who are more business-oriented.”
Students were able to learn about the work that comes after their degree and be provided with a level of comfort from those who are in the fields they are looking to enter.
“I would say don’t quit, it’s part of the process to struggle. We struggle with system-defined concepts, the instructions and algorithms, and workplace communication. So it’s hard for everyone. And I think the biggest thing, as an engineer, is to stay persistent, keep learning, and keep doing,” Allina Khan told the audience.
Girls Who Code provided students with these women as a guide for the futures they aim to build for themselves.
“This event represents the support Girls Who Code aims to provide for our members. We’re here for you, and we want to see you succeed. With the support of BC students, I believe we can continue aiming even higher,” Ilhomova told the Vanguard.
These software engineers not only gave students insights into their experiences working within the field, but they also provided students with guidance, as many students are looking to graduate later this year.
“We [women] need to be more confident,” Kurbanova told the audience. “The engineers don’t know the whole style, whole languages, whatever. They can’t build everything from scratch without help. So don’t undersell yourself. When you get the chance to interview or apply to things, try to lead with the best effort.”
Amena Khan followed Kurbanova’s message by saying, “The best piece of advice I received was don’t take things personally […] You have a lot of aggressive personalities, and I am a very apologetic, shy personality. So, you know, if someone may come at you with demands or kind of quiz you, men or women, be confident in yourself.”
The speakers also reminded students to take advantage of the opportunities and professors that they have within their four years of school.
“Some professors here are really great at the stuff they know; listen to them,” Kurbanova told the audience.
Kurbanova also explained that the best thing to learn from college is “the ability to understand complex systems, breaking things down to smaller problems, and then trying to make sure you understand those smaller components fully.”
The spokeswomen each shared the importance of asking seniors in the field questions once they have entered the computer science field.
“Socializing at different events within your company, you are able to meet more senior people, but also build those relationships more naturally and sort of have those closer understandings,” said Kurbanova. “You can ask questions and bring up concerns that don’t feel like part of the workplace discussion. You can make friends with people with more experience and actually get their opinions.”
Amena Khan shared the same sentiment. “Finding someone who specializes in the field you are interested in would probably be a good way to make a good career decision,” she said. “A lot of the time, the challenge is finding that person and having the confidence to actually reach out. But I think it’s true for the most part that most people are available and generally do want to help.”
Girls Who Code explained that there is more to learn when expanding their knowledge to clubs within and outside of their college campus.
“I’d encourage students to get involved as much as possible. Joining organizations like the Computer Science Club and Girls Who Code helps you learn, grow, and make connections you wouldn’t otherwise have. While you’re a student, it’s the perfect time to build those early
Networks,” Ihomova told The Vanguard.
Those interested in joining Girls Who Code or the Computer Science Club can follow their Instagram accounts: @gwc_brooklyn_college and @bccs.club.