Tech & Innovation Blog
Scholarship Winners, Women in Tech, Diversity & Inclusion
Scholarship Winners, Women in Tech, Diversity & Inclusion
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[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TEXT] When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, WIT was faced with how to give inspiring STEAM students scholarship awards virtually. Fake interviews were set up to lead the scholarship winners into believing they had one last interview before a decision was made. Their reactions were priceless.
[DESCRIPTION] Young women of color speak to administrators on video screens.
[MARIUM ZAFAR] I’m a student at Georgia Gwinnett College majoring in IT.
[EVE BARRETT] I’m an incoming senior at Agnes Scott. Right here right next to me is my mom.
[SANDY ALI] I am a senior at Georgia Gwinnett College majoring in information technology software development and minoring in business.
[MARIUM ZAFAR] I think I took like an intro to coding class, and I said, oh no, I can’t do this. I was letting the environment influence me rather than letting my dreams or what I wanted to do influence me.
[SANDY ALI] When it comes to talking about WIT, it really helped me believe in myself when I was the only female in all my IT classes. I thought this, I’m in the wrong field. IT is not for me. And that’s why WIT actually supported me and believed in me.
[MARIUM ZAFAR] So when I joined Women in Tech, I was just so excited to see women in tech, women in STEM, and that be something that was normalized. So I want to be able to show other girls you can also go into tech.
[EVE BARRETT] Women who look like me, women of color, young girls of color, letting them know that you can do whatever you set your mind to. You shouldn’t let the statistics bother you. That’s what I’m trying to do in pursuing STEAM.
[KANYATTA WALKER] Have to let you in on a tad bit of a little bit of the secret here. So this is kind of a hoax. We knew all along you were the scholarship winner. So let’s just make it official. Congratulations.
[AISHA THOMAS PETIT] Congratulations.
[MARIUM ZAFAR] Did everybody know?
[LAUGHTER]
[MARIUM ZAFAR] Brianna, she knew ahead? Brianna, I’m going to text you after this and we’re going to talk.
[KANYATTA WALKER] Winner of the Women in Technology $5,000 scholarship from ADP is Eve Barrett. Congratulations.
[EVE BARRETT] Thank you.
[DESCRIPTION] Women smile and Eve hugs her mom.
[LAUGHTER]
[AISHA THOMAS PETIT] They made me do it, Eve. They made me do it.
[KANYATTA WALKER] Congratulations.
[SANDY ALI] Is that a joke?
[LAUGHTER]
For real?
[AISHA THOMAS PETIT] We’re very serious.
[DESCRIPTION] Young woman clutches her face.
[SANDY ALI] Thank you so much. I appreciate you so much for believing in me and for believing my goals and my dreams and awarding me this scholarship. It’s very honoring.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[LOGO] 2020 WIT CONNECT VIRTUAL
[TEXT] Thank you all those that participated in the making of this special video:
ADP:
Aisha Thomas-Petit, Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer.
Kanyatta Walker, VP, Global Product & Technology.
Georgia Gwinnett College:
Dr. Sonal Dekhane, Interim Dean, School of Science & Technology.
Dr. Umar Khokhar, Assistan Professor of Information Technology.
Dr. Hyesung Park, Assistan Professor.
Brianna Hickson, Student, Co-President WIT Campus for GGC.
[LOGO] ADP, Always Designing for People.
[TEXT] ADP and the ADP logo are registered trademarks of ADP, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 2020 ADP, Inc.
Catch all the feels as Aisha, our Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, and Kanyatta, one our Vice Presidents, break the news to three lucky STEAM winners for ADP scholarships. (Spoiler: there may have been some tears!)