Rama joined the Girls’ Programming Network as a high school student, and now she’s mentoring the next generation of students while she completes her studies in IT.
The Girls’ Programming Network (GPN), hosted by the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, runs hands-on sessions for girls, by girls, on topics in information technology (IT). It’s held at the University of Melbourne Parkville campus, but students and mentors come from all over Victoria, and it’s a place where high school girls can learn to program and improve their software development skills.
Rama first joined the GPN in high school after moving to Australia. She spent a year learning English, and this was one of her first encounters with university study and the University of Melbourne.
Through GPN, high school students can come to campus and be a part of workshops and activities run by university student mentors. These workshops are run on a weekend day each school term, covering topics from Cryptography to Markov Chains and they’re designed specifically for students in years 7-12. They’ve helped inspire Rama to pursue studies in STEM, and she’s since come back to GPN, now acting as a mentor to help other high school girls. This opportunity to act as a mentor to others has shown Rama she also has a genuine interest in teaching.
“Through this program, I’m able to meet incredible individuals and expand my network. It’s about supporting underrepresented groups in technology by providing access to meaningful education opportunities. I get to tutor young girls to try and encourage more women in STEM.”
I think it’s important to apply the textbook knowledge from my degree to work and real projects so I can see how I can use what I’m learning. I’ve had multiple experiences where I was able to chat with academics to learn about their research, industry connections, and how their work forms the cornerstone of modern technologies. I also want to share that inspiration with other girls through GPN.
Combining her interest in IT with teaching has helped Rama explore her different interests and share her passions with others. The opportunity to see how skills can transfer across industries and be relevant to different experiences is a key part of how studying at Melbourne can help you make connections across disciplines. The courses are set up to foster this ability to transfer skills across industries, with opportunities to develop leadership skills, participate in events and learn how to be adaptable.
“I think it’s important to apply the textbook knowledge from my degree to work and real projects so I can see how I can use what I’m learning. I’ve had multiple experiences where I was able to chat with academics to learn about their research, industry connections, and how their work forms the cornerstone of modern technologies. I also want to share that inspiration with other girls through GPN.”
While pursuing a Bachelor of Science with a major in Computing and Information Systems, Rama’s experience with the Girls Programming Network is giving her the chance to give back to the program that helped inspire her to pursue a career in STEM.