I’ve been wearing my Google t-shirt around campus, and people keep asking me where I got it. So I tell them I just got back from the Grace Hopper Conference. When they ask what I did there, I realize I don’t know what to tell them because there’s too much to tell. Should I talk about the great interviews I got just for showing up at a booth? Describe all the different things I learned at all the presentations? Talk about networking? I can’t possibly describe it to them in a five minute conversation. GHC was a fantastic experience for me. I now feel much more confident, especially about my prospective future jobs. I would recommend GHC to any girl who is even considering a technical career.
Hailey: Friday
After spending the past few days indoors, it was nice to get out of the convention center for a bit. We went and walked around the harbor during lunch, looked at the boats, and did some shopping. Then at night we attended the RockIt Party at the Maryland Science Center on the harbor. The science center itself was phenomenal, with Dino-exhibits, physics experiments, and multiple IMAX presentations. And to top it all off, we were provided free desserts and swag from Google and Microsoft. It was the perfect fun ending to the past few days.
Hailey: Thursday
Kickstarted the day with an amazing keynote speaker who talked to us at length about fear. I’ve found this to be a bit of a theme throughout the conference so far; a lot of the speakers have addressed the fact that, in spite of their success, they often feel scared or intimidated. It seems a lot of women (myself included) often don’t try for things because they’re scared. I think that’s why the Grace Hopper Celebration is really important; so many women are so intimidated by others in their fields that they need a strong support system of other incredible women (who are also scared). I know that I personally feel much more confident surrounded by these women than I do on a day to day basis.
Hailey: Wednesday
My GHC experience got off to an interesting start when the woman sitting next to me in the airport suddenly revealed herself as a recruiter. After my heart had started again and I had played back my last few minutes of conversation to see if I’d said anything stupid, other Duke GHC attendees and I engaged in a lengthy conversation with the woman about what she looks for in an interview and what the biggest resume mistakes are. I boarded the plane feeling as if I’d already learned more than expected, and we weren’t even in Baltimore yet!
Hailey: Preparation
In the past few days I’ve begun to notice people’s reactions when I tell them I’m going to the Grace Hopper Celebration this week. Students and professors alike exclaim, “Wow, that’s going to be great, you’re really lucky!” I’ve even heard male computer science students admit, “Huh. Kinda wish I were a girl now…” I guess it took talking to other people to realize what unique opportunities I’ll have at the Grace Hopper Celebration.