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Odette Saenz

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Finalist

Bio

I am currently a freshman Honors Math Major at the Univeristy of Texas at Austin. I'm soon changing to Computer Science and plan to pursue a minor in Business as well. I'm currently interested in developing my skills in the field of Cybersecurity. I am involved in a Robotics Ai lab at my college. On a bit more personal note, I was raised in Mexico until my teenage years and moved to the US recently due to safety reasons. This has opened my eyes to more opportunities, and with that, even more obstacles to overcome. Such as mental and physical issues as well as economical challenges and language barrier. Despite that, I am fortunate for the people that have supported me until this day, such as my ESL teacher and my family. Because of this, I am very involved in FGLI empowerment since high school. I'm currently a volunteer advisor for the Matriculate Organization. I want to help more first gen/Hispanic students feel a sense of trust in themselves and prove that they have what it takes to take this next step by themselves. I want to share my experience and hope that more FGLI women like me will not feel limited to exploring male dominated fields because of their background or lack of familial support.

Education

The University of Texas at Austin

Bachelor's degree program
2022 - 2026
  • Majors:
    • Computer Science
  • Minors:
    • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other

Plano West Senior H S

High School
2019 - 2022

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Mathematics and Computer Science
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Computer & Network Security

    • Dream career goals:

      FBI Special Agent: Cybersecurity and Technology

    • Team member

      Whataburger
      2020 – 2020

    Research

    • Computational Science

      UT Austin FRI Program — Student Researcher
      2023 – Present

    Arts

    • Independent

      Drawing
      N/A
      2018 – 2021

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Love For Our Elders — School chapter founder/ Ambassador
      2021 – Present

    Future Interests

    Volunteering

    Sikora Drake STEM Scholarship
    Coding near a frying pan could work. I figured this out when I joined a sisterhood all over the country to explore the perks of Computer Programming (GWC). The constant interactive projects to debug every line of code together, adding a semicolon at a time. Opening a bracket caused me nerves but turning on my mic to ask questions felt empowering. Still, it had to be off as soon as I had to lay another pair of tortillas on my comal for my demanding dad, since it sizzled loud enough to interrupt my questions. Thereby, an obstacle greater than even a syntax error was upon me—Machismo. The father is placed on a pedestal. But no one considers the work that goes behind a sweaty construction worker after a 12-hour shift, a restless woman that welcomes him with warm tortillas. She also works, but the dear comal had to become the main character of this chapter. I know I won’t just belong in the kitchen when I grow up. I dream to be with more Latinas in the STEM field, assuring them that they aren’t restricted to the stove. I recognize I can be part of the change. I aspire to become an even greater leader because of the inspiration I’ll receive from these amazing women. I’ll have the support to expand computer accessibility to more girls, a tool that can open many doors to combat this machismo. Over the years, I’ve followed Mathematical Logic through books and Youtube lectures. But a testimony in the Association for Women in Mathematics by a Hispanic member motivated me to seek action through Math and CS in my graduate studies to make this message more accessible to a wider audience. Thanks to this, I’ve developed a desire to impact my Latinx community through coding. I’m currently working on an app, Opportunity Ala Mano, to embody quick resources and videos that provide aid for ESL, Literacy, GED, and Citizenship Test prep for many minority and Immigrant adults. Being a witness of the impact of my parent’s growth through their weekly ESL classes has made me realize that it is hard to commit to it for them with hectic schedules. By distributing translated information to parents of students, especially immigrants, that are unaware of the American school system. Providing education towards this subject would allow for better home support and motivation to strive for higher STEM education. I do this by creating presentations during lunch for ESL students at my school fully in Spanish. I believe that expanding free resources for parents of possible students could also allow for that growth in minority applicants, especially girls. I’d say Girls in STEM are like flipping tortillas with your bare hands. Sometimes, it will cook unevenly, but it will never crumble. They relinquish collaborative work in the kitchen. That is how my sisterhood felt to me, one which I hope to experience again, in which hitting the “run” button to our code is a win for all.