Women's Tech Scholarship Names 2018 Winners

The Women Forward in Technology Scholarship Program, now in its second year, announces the recipients of nine $3000 scholarships to women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). Sponsored by Distil Networks, Amazon Web Services, Cooley, Foundry Group, HelpScout, MOZ, Offleash PR and Yesware, the scholarship fund awards individual scholarships to undergraduate and graduate women attending accredited universities across the United States. This year, more than 150 applicants from over 125 universities applied for scholarships to be used directly toward educational advancement.“In 2016, Distil Networks signed the White House-sponsored Tech Inclusion Pledge, committing the company to take concrete action to make the technology workforce more representative of the American people and, as a result, established the Women Forward in Technology Scholarship Program to increase diversity in our community and shed light on inequity challenges facing this industry,” says Stephani Martin, vice president of People Operations at Distil Networks. “This year’s recipients represent a wide-range of women pursuing careers in STEM, despite systemic disadvantages. It is inspiring to witness the motivation and determination driving this group of women, and we are thrilled to contribute to their educational success.”

2018 Scholarship Recipients

• Alice Gelman, Biology, Tufts University
• Alisa Hathaway, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Amanda Horne, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Heather Hava, Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
• Jasmin Zelaya, Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University
• Jessica Yu, Environmental Science Hydrology, California State University, Los Angeles
• Katya Arquilla, Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
• Mehvish Hashmi, Business and Information Systems, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Winnona Li, Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

"The Women Forward in Technology scholarship recognizes that women in STEM bear an acute burden to maintain a constant, tireless push toward equality,” says Katya Arquilla, scholarship recipient and graduate student at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “I – and all women in STEM – work to help realize a world where women in technology will not have to question their position or doubt themselves, and I look forward to the near future when this will be a reality."

Scholarship Program At-A-Glance

• Multiple scholarships in the amount of $3,000 each will be awarded each year.
• Both undergraduate and graduate students may apply.
• Applicants must be accepted into, or currently enrolled full-time at an accredited university in the US, in a STEM field.
• Applicants must complete a 1,000-word essay, present educational transcripts and deliver one letter of recommendation.

The next scholarship program will open on March 1, 2019 and the winners will be announced in mid-August, 2019. To learn more about this program, visit Women Forward in Technology Scholarship Program.

Sources: Press materials received from the company.