Texas Women Empowerment Scholarship

When I was seven, my mom knew she had to change. At the moment she was working at ACE Hardware. One day, she asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I told her I wanted to be like her. Of course, she did not want to accept the fact that I wanted to be a cashier. So, she got her GED and became a medical assistant. She showed me that there are better opportunities in life, we have to work to get there. My point is, the women that I grew up around were not college graduates. That is not their fault. They did not know who to go to or where to start in the first place. My mom is one great example of what motivates me to confront gender disparity in Texas, other examples include disparity in classrooms, and in leadership. I am a minority and while attending a predominantly white institution, I have noticed that the majority of my classmates are white males. As an Information Technology (IT) student at Texas Tech, part of the path that I am on requires you to take a Data Visualization class. I mention this class because of the valuable things I learned from my outstanding Professor, Radha Appan. I learned that it is possible to succeed, have a family, and other businesses as a woman in IT. In this class it became more prominent to me that I was not only one of the few minorities in the class, I was one of six women, including my professor. It was really strange when I realized this. I mean, I was in the middle of watching someone’s presentation at the end of the semester. I think this happened because I had become so accustomed to learning in a classroom full of men over the past three years that it took me so long to notice. So, I would like to inspire other women to join IT and be passionate about technology like me. Often, I have seen many minority women become or want to become engineers because that is what people are pushing for. However, I think it is time to also push women into more computer science, software, or IT spaces. During my junior year, I was an officer for the Society of Hispanic Professionals (SHPE) at Tech. I loved this opportunity. Our chapter began to participate in SHPE-tinas; a mini-organization that supported Hispanic and Latina women in STEM. We wanted to start promoting this branch because of the lack of women in the organization and engineering. Although the officers comprised some women, I still wanted to see more representation. This is, again, why I think it is important that I encourage my future daughters, nieces, granddaughters, and even incoming freshman to not be afraid to major in IT. IT is not just fixing computers and laptops and telling people to turn things on and off. IT is comprised of data, science, software, artificial intelligence, etc. I think we must explain to people that there is more to Information Technology than they believe. This, however, also contributes to the gender disparity in STEM in general. I am proud of the progress women have made in terms of starting their STEM journeys. We need to encourage and empower other women to join us in classrooms and leadership positions. Let this be the beginning.

The relationship between my gender and my work has always been complicated. Politics is an inherently masculine field. I mean, there’s still never been a woman elected as president. I feel like I don’t need to say much more. Whether it’s going to a networking event, city hall, or the state capitol, comfort is the last thing I expect to feel. For a while, part of me assumed my feelings of unease would dissipate over time. But as I continue to progress and work different jobs in this field, the feeling of being unwelcome has stuck with me like gum in my hair or like a stain I just can’t get out. The parasitic otherness isn’t there because comfortability is impossible, however. It’s because these spaces were built for the same people they were built by. It’s the same people that have always been in charge: white men. Texas politics are virile, hierarchical, and aggressively ambitious to the point where “feminine” qualities like vulnerability and emotional intelligence are completely rejected. The constant competition and scarcity mindset that accompanies unchecked toxic masculinity leaves no space for diverse perspectives or community building. Lacking space for genuine connection makes it easier and easier to assign apathy as the natural state of being. When interpersonal support and compassion are viewed as weak, a waste of time, or unprofessional, we need to start looking in the mirror. We must realize that the performative hard shell of political professionalism is nothing but an excuse to reject what makes us beautifully human. Instead of letting the state of gender disparity in Texas keep me down, I choose to use it as motivation. That is why I work in politics. Because there is such a lack of support for women in Texas, we need as many women in Texas politics as possible. We must continue to push social norms until there is space for all of us. Our systems should be woven with all of our identities and practices, not just the ones we are used to seeing. It isn't fair and it is not easy, but that Is what I am called to do. The fight for gender equity is just one of many my generation needs to take on fearlessly. From climate change to the increasing wealth divide to homelessness, to the rise of anti-LGBTQIA+ propaganda, there is much to do. The only thing we can do is work from our hearts and use our power to take care of each other.