To: [list of incoming first-year women]
From: Christine Alvarado
Date: June 4, 2010
Re: Exciting Opportunity to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing for Free
Greetings new Mudders!
I am a professor of computer science here at Harvey Mudd College, and first and foremost, I want to welcome you to the Mudd community. I know you're probably still thinking about finishing high school, but it's summer at HMC, and I'm look forward to meeting each and every one of you this fall.
For now, I am excited to tell you about a very cool opportunity available at Mudd this fall. The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (http://gracehopper.org) is an annual conference aimed at bringing together women in or curious about the field of computer science. This year, we have received a grant to fund *at least* 20 scholarships for first year students to attend this conference. Transportation, conference registration, hotel, and (almost all) meals are all completely covered, so with the possible exception of one or two meals, attending the conference will be TOTALLY FREE for you! This is a very exciting opportunity!
You might be thinking: "But I'm not a computer scientist/I don't know anything about computer science!" In fact, that's GREAT! You don't have to know anything about computer science to sign up. The fact of the matter is that no matter what discipline you go on to study, the chance to interact with hundreds of very cool, very technically smart women will be an opportunity that you likely will not forget.
I have more answers to FAQ's below (including when and where the conference is), but the important information is that if you want to go, you must sign up on or before **SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010** by clicking the link below and filling out the very short survey:
[LINK TO SIGN UP SURVEY HERE]
Although you have until the 27th, please sign up through the link above as possible if you are interested (you can always pull your name out until the deadline by emailing me). Also, please feel free to send me an email with any questions you have if they are not answered below, or if you just want more information.
Finally, unfortunately we will probably not be able to take everyone who is interested. By signing up you are committing to go if selected. We'll select the list of people we can take by the beginning of July (and let you know who you are).
Enjoy the rest of the summer, and I look forward to meeting you!
- Christine Alvarado
FAQ about the Grace Hopper Trip:
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Q: Who can sign up to go? Do I have to be a CS major?
A: We encourage all interested students to sign up. You do NOT have to be a CS major (or know anything about CS)!
Q: Do I have to pay for anything?
A: You will be responsible for any food that you buy before or after the conference (i.e., during transit), but that's it. Effectively,
this trip is FREE for you.
Q: How will you choose who gets to go?
A: If more than 20 people sign up, preference will be given to first year female students. If more than 20 first year female students sign up, we will select 20 students to go, aiming for a mix of interests and motivations.
Q: Where and when is the conference?
A: The conference is in Atlanta, GA, on Sept 29-Oct 2, 2010. We will leave campus Wednesday, Sept 29 (either in the evening or in the morning, depending on your class schedule) and return Saturday, Oct 2, in the afternoon. You will miss two days of classes (Thursday and Friday). You might miss Wednesday too if your schedule allows, so that you don't have to fly overnight. The exact time we will leave is TBD.
Q: What happens if I will miss important classes/labs/etc?
A: This is our fifth year doing this trip, and in general all professors have been more than happy to make arrangements with you! This year we will make sure that students who go on the trip will NOT miss any labs (by scheduling them into Monday and Tuesday lab sections). If you have any concerns about this, please ask me!
Q: What if I can't go to the whole conference?
A: Due to the distance, we are asking students to attend the whole conference (Wednesday night-Saturday noon).
Q: Once I sign up, can I decide not to go?
A: You can pull your name out up until July 1. After that, we assume you have committed to attend the conference, if selected. You will be responsible for any non-refundable costs (i.e., plane ticket) if you end up not being able to attend (unless it's an emergency, of course).
Q: What have previous students said about their experience?
A: Students have universally enjoyed their trips (and many beg to go again the next year). Here are some quotes from past participants:
"Attending GHC was an extremely positive experience, because fundamentally it reminds me that I am normal, that there are many other woman out there like me who do like computer science, but who also have lives and other interests!"
"I had no idea so many women worked in the field of computer science. I also still believed the myth that all the computer science jobs are being outsourced. The conference definitely changed my perspective on the field"
"The most meaningful aspect was seeing all the opportunities there exist for CS majors and influenced me to further consider CS as a major."
"For me it was amazing meeting all of the companies sponsoring the conference, as well as the other students who attended it. I was amazed by how many people really encouraged more women computer scientists."
Q: Sounds great! How do I sign up?
A: Just fill out the survey here:
[SURVEY LINK]
By June 27, 2010
We will publish the final list of who will go shortly thereafter and work on making travel arrangements.