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Guzalkhon – Rejecting Social Norms in STEM

Guzalkhon smiling with shrubs behind her

Guzalkhon, TechGirls 2022, Uzbekistan I used to grossly misinterpret the life of my childhood idol, Marie Curie. She seemed to be a model woman who self-sacrificially contributed to her husband’s scientific success. Knowing what I know today, I try not to judge my past self too harshly. The two options available to my gender were Read More »

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Leena – Unleashing the Power of Python

Leena is smiling in winter clothes while standing in front of greenery.

Leena, TechGirls 2022, Palestinian Territories Through the remarkable TechGirls program, I was given a one of a kind opportunity to not only discover the world of coding and microprocessors but also to go to the States and engage with a community of female STEM geniuses and dreamers for 3 weeks. With their support, I was Read More »

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Luíza – Turning Hesitation Into Motivation

Luíza smiling in a field while wearing a Virginia Tech sweatshirt

Luíza, TechGirls 2022, Brazil Two months before high school started, I had to make the decision of what I was going to study in college. The decision was not clear in my head, but I chose to major in International Relations. A few months later, I decided to visit a company in order to participate Read More »

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Excellence – STEM Leadership and Success

Excellence poses while standing in a field

Excellence, TechGirls 2022, USA Through the TechGirls Program I have been more into STEM than ever.  “Code With Excellence” – my community action project and small business where I teach kids to code in the languages of Scratch, Python, and Java – performed great, with more than 30 students enrolled in the program. I also Read More »

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Farahnozkhon – Helping Girls Achieve Their STEM Dreams

Farahnozkhon sitting at a table with a slight smile with trees and other chairs and tables behind her.

Farahnozkhon, TechGirls 2021, Tajikistan I’ve had an interest in technology since I was a child. I remember collecting old gadgets, disassembling them, inspecting every detail, and reassembling them. It was great fun. When I first learned about and began studying the C ++ programming language, I realized that programming is like mathematics. We must also Read More »

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Grace – Learning From Other TechGirls

Grace is smiling with flowers behind her

Grace, TechGirls 2022, Taiwan The TechGirls program is more than a learning experience, and instead, a life-changing period. Recalling months ago, when I received the acceptance notification, I was overwhelmed by excitement to study advanced courses in a university abroad, build a connection with girls interested in STEM from different countries, and meet experts in Read More »

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TechGirls: 10 Years and Still Going Strong!

13 TechGirls alumnae

In 2012, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs launched an initiative called TechGirls to empower and inspire young women from around the world to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  The first years of the program engaged participants from the Middle East and North Africa in a summer Read More »

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Sonia – Increasing Exposure to STEM

Sonia is seen with a monument, a street, and trees in the background.

Sonia, TechGirls 2022, Nigeria I’ve always had a passion for advocacy for the underrepresented people around me, especially young women such as myself. Most teenage girls in my community shy away from taking up courses in science, and when it was time to choose a career it was hardly ever one involving science. This was Read More »

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Shanika – Living My Dreams

Shanika is seen sitting with a marroon colored jacket, blue jeans, glasses, long black hair, and smiling. She is turned around to smile. In the background, there is a field with people and a sunset.

Shanika, TechGirls 2022, Suriname As a girl from a small unknown country, some dreams are really too big…. Or so I thought. My family and I watched every single space-themed movie there is on Netflix. I loved watching movies about space and the technology used in the missions, how they built the rockets, and how Read More »

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