Bianca Alvarez
Place Of Birth
Mexico
Family heritage
Mexico
Bio
I am a Latina pursuing a career in tech, NCWIT AspireIT Program Leader, Undergraduate Research Assistant and Vice President of ACM-W WICS at UTEP. I am passionate about empowering Hispanic girls through technology and educational programs.
Current job
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Why would you recommend exploring careers in science and technology to other Latina girls?
As a Latina undergraduate student pursuing a career in Computer Science, it can be both challenging and difficult to “fit in.” Sometimes we believe that only superheroes in the movies can do amazing things. I strongly think that everyone is capable of thriving in the tech world. To girls that want to pursue a career in technology, I will tell them not to be afraid of stereotypes and go for it. Find your passion, and think of ways you can use your skills to help future generations in your community. In my personal experience, when I started my bachelor in Computer Science, I did not have any programming background. I had to study more to get ahead in the classes, and I learned that solving problems is not a skill that you born with, you need to practice to be good at it and that everyone is capable. After this learning experience, I knew I wanted to share my experience with young girls and tell them not to be afraid of stereotypes. Sometimes we believe that only superheroes in the movies can do amazing things. If you believe you can do it, and work for it, you will be part of the next generation of students impacting the world. Start now! Join a student organization in college that share your passion. Do the research, a lot of non-profit organizations are looking for volunteers all the time. Most importantly, start small, sometimes to impact your community does not mean to reach thousands of people, for me, impacting your community means sharing your passion and skills to change someone else's life. My vision for the future of women in the tech industry is to see Latina girls having the same opportunity to learn programming skills at a young age, regardless of their ethnicity or economic status.