I have chosen to pursue STEM because when I was younger, I was always fascinated by Science and Technology, from getting excited to learning about compounds in my Chemistry class and designing circuit boards in my Physics Lab in High School to working on various coding projects to improve peoples’ routine. I know that all that hard work I have done in high school to make it to this point in majoring in Computer Science in college has paid off. I know that for a long time it was impossible for a woman to enter into the field of STEM, as they have always been unrepresented. To me, making a difference means that I will stand up for myself and continue going for my dreams as a Software Engineer because this is the path I have been working towards. This is what I am focusing on, and I am ensuring my academic journey and my outside life, such as jobs, community service, and networking will equip me with getting ready for the process of being a Software Engineer. I know that it won’t be easy, but once I have started, I need to keep going. I have to make myself stand out and make sure that I get heard. That is where the job application comes in as this is a way to make myself stand out. In my previous role as a Research Assistant, I executed an analysis of experimental results to maintain and rectify any discrepancies in imaging, ensuring precision and quality control in all procedures. Currently, I work in IT to set up the projector in a classroom for combined Zoom classes. I also served on the Board of Committee of Event Planning for the Marketing Club at my college. So, with my different experiences, I feel as if that would make me stand out as a job candidate, As a woman in the field, it’s about not being looked down on. Making a difference means working on a specific task that will benefit for the greater good. Always reaching out for help is beneficial for me because I will always try to improve on a specific task. This help can be from family, friends, college, peers and mentors. Looking back, I have realized the work I have done in the past has enhanced my knowledge to continue working on bigger tasks, which can be done one at a time.

Choosing to peruse a higher education means a lot to me as a First-Generation student, especially coming from a family that didn't have any opportunities to attend college. So, of course being the older sibling, and having to balance education, having a job, having a social life, there was a lot of pressure on me. At times, I felt as if I was the head of the household. It was difficult for me because I never had that old sibling to explain everything about the process of transiting to college and balance outside life. It was up to me to figure everything out myself. With my family escaping political tension due to war in Croatia, which made them arrive to America 32 years ago, without knowing anything, clueless and not didn't have much to bring with them. My parents didn't know that college or obtaining an education could be an option, since they didn't have anyone to explain it to them. They both started working, where they were living at my uncle's apartment, so they were trying to get by. With the hardships they both persevered through challenges, and overtime they continued to maintain their jobs. Fifteen years passed by, and they still didn't take the opportunity to attend college, but they decided to start a family, so of course that is another responsibility. I understand what my parents and the sacrifices they made for me and my sister to pursue education, but being the older sibling means I always have to take the stick and be in control. My parents didn't want me to live the life they did, and they always told me each school year "start strong". Being born in America, which is known as the country as opportunity, it was obvious for me to start with education for a better life. During my senior year of high school, the whole college application process was daunting. With guidance from school counselors, friends and teachers, little by little I was figuring stuff out. I was preparing as best as I can for college because coming from a family who had nothing, it was up to be to do what I had to do and utilize resources to help me through the process. All that work I did through my years of school lead me to this point from balancing extra circulars of being Vice President of the Key Club, being Vice President of The National Honor Society, helping my neighborhood and top of that I had to focus on my studies to maintain my 3.7 GPA. I knew that work had to be paid off and be prepared for college as a first-generation student. I am grateful to have a family that supports me and my future dream of being a Product Manager and obtaining my degree in Computer Science at New York Institute of Technology.

My name is Masa. I am an undergraduate second year college student majoring in Computer Science. As a Computer Science student with a keen interest in software engineering and Product Management, I am driven by a passion for entrepreneurship and business. Currently, I am actively engaged in various projects utilizing Java, Python, and JavaScript, where I continuously seek to innovate and develop solutions that bridge technology and business opportunities. This scholarship will make a difference for me because I can utilize and benefit from the support to continue with pursuing my education. I have always believed that education is a powerful tool to get ahead. With education, sheds light as there are endless possibilities on the specific path I decide to take. I know that the journey won’t be easy or smooth, but continuous support in any way will keep pushing me to shape my academic journey. Although Business and Computer Science are different fields, they can both be compliments that many companies look for in candidates. In the future of my academic journey, I plan to take Business and Computer Science classes, since I can take Business classes as my electives. With that, I believe it can make a stronger candidate for future job opportunities. One example is my dream career of being a Product Manager, where I can have a strong sense on why this product is important and it’s always about improving. The creation of products involving technology requires teamwork in multiple departments, such as IT, Engineering, Marketing and sales. One of my Computer Science professors suggested that I can become a Business Analyst to product data-driven solutions for improvements, but I had to work my way up to become a Business Analyst. A time that I have experienced emotional weakness is at my previous role as a Research Assistant at the New York Institute of Technology Human Factors and Neuroscience Lab. There was one task assigned by my supervisor to me to update and save the file name of each experimental trial, where these trials had to do with comparing eye movements across images from novices to experts in the field of Radiology. I was only a first-year undergraduate student when I had this job, and I was still learning about coding. This caused me emotional weakness because I didn't want to let my supervisor know that I didn't understand what to do, since it I was on my 7th month of working there. I did ask a few questions, but I was still stuck. At this point, I even considered telling my supervisor I quit. I have watched countless YouTube tutorials, had MATLAB training, where I have received certificates in MATLAB. I have read a plethora of research papers and gone over similar experiments that have been conducted in the past in previous colleges. This means that if I did all that, then I care about my job too much to just quit. So, 2 weeks later after I got assigned the task, I asked my supervisor if I can speak with him and me and him sat in the lab together and I explained to him the issue. We decided that the programmer who has worked on the experiments can make a video explaining the programs. I could send the programmer specific question if I had any doubts or concerns, so I did that. Of course, it took time for me to get the task done. Since this was a hybrid job, I could work at home and do each part little by little. It was like a puzzle, where everything seemed to fit.

One project that I was really passionate about that I worked on was the Computer Science Expertise project as a Reseach Assistant at the New York Institute of Technology Human Factors and Neuroscience Lab. It equipped with the skills and experience needed for future career opportunities. I particularly enjoyed working on that project because it combined two different fields of study, which was Psychology and Computer Science to track the eye movements and compare them with novices from experts in Radiology. I updated the files which contained the experimental code to fix any discrepancies and errors. At that moment, I realized that coding was a long-time career for me. I knew from a young age, that being invested into technology would be the right path. I got inspired by other women in technology to break through barriers and open myself to different horizons. Working in technology is much more than sitting in front of a computer. It's about utilizing new technological developments for the greater good because at a point, it can help humanity. Working in technology has advanced and is continuing to advance me to the text parts closer to my dream career, which is working with Computer Software or Software Engineering. I couldn't let anyone, or anything stop me from achieving my dream because I knew that I couldn't go back. I had to continue as younger me would've known this the right career path. When people ask me for help with an issue with their computer and I help them, it puts a smile on my face. I know to most people it might not seem like a big deal, but specializing in computers has made me happy. With my experience in working in a project for my job as a Research Assistant, it has given me a foundation when I go search for future jobs because it's as if I have a base on the knowledge companies are looking for to hire the right candidate. Also, attending a technical college, where an abundance of students is in a program related to technology, it gives me an opportunity to connect with others and learn their stories. I can understand what brought them here and why they choose the path that they did because not all of our stories are the same. We didn't come from the same place, but we attend the same college, and we can help each other.