Teria Onwuaduegbo Black Women in STEM Scholarship

My academic and career goals are shaped by how I think, learn, and respond to challenges. I am currently an undergraduate Computer Science student at Rice University, having completed my first year, with a focus on artificial intelligence and a growing interest in the ethical, legal, and policy issues surrounding emerging technologies. I have always been drawn to environments that demand focus, adaptability, and accountability. Whether in the classroom or on the tennis court, I am most engaged when I am pushed to analyze, adjust, and improve. Tennis taught me early that progress is rarely linear; growth comes from close attention to detail, honest self-assessment, and the willingness to make strategic changes under pressure. Those same habits shape how I approach academic work and complex problem-solving. My interest in computer science grew from a fascination with patterns and systems, how small decisions can have cascading effects. As I explored coding and computational thinking, artificial intelligence stood out not only for its technical complexity but for its real-world consequences. AI increasingly influences decisions across healthcare, education, finance, and law, often in ways that are invisible to those affected. I participate in computational biochemistry research, using AI to potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives from disease. However, after taking a course in AI ethics as part of my major track, and seeing how easy exploitation and overconsumption are in the era of AI, understanding how these systems work and how they should work has become central to my academic motivation. During my first year at Rice, I have strengthened my analytical foundation while learning to think more rigorously about abstraction, structure, and trade-offs. I am especially interested in complementing my technical training with coursework and experiences that examine ethics, governance, and law. I am motivated by questions such as who bears responsibility for automated decisions, how bias is encoded into systems, and how intellectual property and regulatory frameworks can keep pace with innovation. My long-term career goals are intentionally exploratory but focused. I envision working at the intersection of technology and society, where technical expertise must be paired with judgment and accountability. I am positioning myself to shape responsible AI governance, whether by advising regulatory frameworks through a legal career or by engineering safety and compliance guardrails directly within the tech world. What matters most to me is not a single title, but the opportunity to engage deeply with challenging ideas and to apply knowledge with discipline and integrity. I value feedback, thoughtful debate, and environments that expect both excellence and reflection. I want healthy conversations about AI and regulation to be at the forefront of discussions, so that people do not become apathetic to the potential negative consequences of innovation.

Every day is filled with countless moments, but only a few stay with us. These fragments become the memories that fill the pages of our life's storybook. And for me, many of those defining fragments trace back to my family’s decision to leave Nigeria in 2006. Growing up, I saw how economic instability shaped my family's reality once we came to America. My parents worked tirelessly to support their four daughters while also providing for relatives back home. Their resilience and countless sacrifices taught me that "success", however one defines it, is not given. Success is built through persistence, being disciplined, and being committed to something greater than yourself. Through my parents, I learned to approach challenges not as barriers, but as opportunities to grow. Fast forward, that mindset is what shaped my career interest and led me to pursue computer science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I see technology as one of the most powerful tools for creating opportunity in today's society, but my interest in the tech world began through enjoying ways to express my creativity. In middle school, I spent hours editing videos and learned how small details could serve a larger purpose to "create". Then, in high school, I was introduced to basic coding projects, and I began to see technology on an even deeper level. It became something I could use to "create" experiences, solve problems, and bring ideas to life. That perspective was tested during my first coding course at Georgia Tech. It was my first real step toward my career goals in computer science, but almost immediately, I faced imposter syndrome and I started to question whether I truly could do this professionally. However, instead of stepping back, I accepted the challenge and chose to push forward. I spent time practicing the material, asked more questions, attended study sessions, and stayed consistent. By the end of the course, I earned an A+ and built several projects I was proud of. Since then, outside of class, I have worked on personal and group projects to continue building my skills. Through those experiences, I started to think more about the people using what I build, not just whether the code works. I have also gained experience through software engineering internships, where I contributed to backend systems and worked on tools used by real users. In the future, my career goals are to use my skills to build technological projects that are accessible and inclusive. Too often and commonly, I find that technological innovation overlooks underrepresented communities. I want to help change that by designing apps, projects, etc. that reflect a wider range of experiences and needs, especially in areas like education, food access, and poverty needs. I also have goals to continue to mentor young minority women who value being seen in the space of technology. As a Nigerian woman and a first generation college student, I understand the importance of representation. I am part of the ~3% of black women in computer science and I know that visibility and encouragement can open doors for others. Teria Onwuaduegbo’s story stands out to me because it represents passion and persistence in a field where Black women are still underrepresented. Continuing in this space feels meaningful to me for that reason, and through my career and future accomplishments, my ultimate goal is to help redefine who belongs in STEM. The steps I have taken so far reflect my commitment to this path, and I plan to keep building on them as I move forward in my career, writing new fulfilling pages in my life's storybook everyday.