Interview with Russian winners of the Anita Borg Fellowship

Original author: Efrat Agassi, Google Student Program Specialist
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We recently held two events dedicated to Anita Borg scholarships at Google offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg. More than 80 students studying at the Faculty of Computer Science or related specialties visited our Russian offices to learn more about engineering projects, the scholarship program and Anita Borg herself . The girls were able to personally meet with the winners of the scholarship and ask questions to Google representatives.

We asked three laureates to share their stories of participating in the scholarship competition with us:


Tell us a little about yourself ...

Anna : I graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Novosibirsk State University. Now I work at the Institute of Computational Technologies and am preparing to defend my dissertation. I am engaged in mathematical modeling and optimization methods for solving inverse problems.

Elena: I graduated from the Bioinformatics Department of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. At the moment, my work is related to the analysis of biological data.

Anastasia:I graduated from Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Faculty of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Department of Applied Mathematics. Since the sixth year I have been working at the Institute for System Programming of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where I started with projects for testing workflow systems, and later switched to a project to develop a tool for automated testing of Internet protocols.

How did you find out about the Anita Borg scholarship and why did you decide to apply for participation?

Anna: I found out about scholarships through announcements in our university when this program started in Russia in 2008. My friends told me that I fit in every way, and I decided to apply. Before doing this, she looked on the Internet biography of Anita Borg. I was very inspired by her story. I wanted to prove, first of all, to myself, that I can do something in the field of technology.

Elena: I saw an announcement about this scholarship before I even started my studies. I was attracted by the element of competition that I liked while participating in school competitions. Two years later I became a finalist!

Anastasia:I heard about a scholarship from a Google representative who made a presentation at ISP RAS. I was just a graduate student and became interested in the program. At first, after reading the reviews and a brief biography of the winners, I was afraid that my chances were small. But I decided that I did not need to evaluate the chances - I had to try. In the worst case scenario, it will be just a rewarding experience and an opportunity to try again.

How did the scholarship affect you and your future development?

Anna: I became a finalist 3 times. Success gave me confidence, helped to boldly take part and win in other competitions, to participate in international technical conferences.

Elena: Having received a scholarship, I became more confident in my abilities and found additional motivation to continue working on myself, especially on my programming skills. I also strengthened my leadership skills: I am now the co-chair of a committee that supports the development of biotechnology and helps young scientists build a successful career after graduation.

Anastasia:Before participating in the program, I was not confident enough in myself and my own abilities. Now, to be honest, I also sometimes doubt my abilities, but after meeting other fellows, it turned out that I was not alone in this.

What was the highlight of the event at which all the fellows met for you?

Anna: I was inspired by examples of new scientific and software developments, modern approaches to organizing the workspace and time of employees, a relaxed atmosphere for communicating with professionals in their field. After meeting with other scholarship holders, I have a strong motivation to work hard all next year.

Elena: Getting to know so many interesting people was a real inspiration for me. I also really liked the presentation about the diverse technical problems studied at various universities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Anastasia:The main thing was the atmosphere of a meeting with many talented girls from different cultures and nationalities. There were interesting discussions of various approaches to education, industry and life in general.

What would you recommend to Russian students who would like to become the next finalists of the Anita Borg scholarship?

Anna: Do not be afraid and believe in yourself! The competition is won by the same girls as you. I wish you to achieve your goals and do exactly the thing that you like, despite public prejudices.

Elena: Approach the process with enthusiasm and sincerity! Take part in interesting projects at your university, study hard and be sure to highlight your key achievements in your resume.

Anastasia: When applying for a scholarship, use diagrams and pictures in your essay to emphasize the main thing. The essay should be read many times, trying to remove all unnecessary. Ask someone close to you to read and evaluate what you wrote.
Well, and if you won’t manage to win right away, don’t despair, you should try again!

Application forAnita Borg scholarship from Google can apply for girls (students and graduate students) studying at universities in the 2014-2015 academic year.

Application deadline: Monday, February 17, 2014.

More information on scholarships from Google is available at www.google.com/students/scholarships .

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