ATLANTA — After listening to several panelists during a Girls Who Code event on Georgia State's Atlanta Campus, computer science major Malika Kapri knew she’d made the right decision to pursue a career in tech.
What she didn’t realize at the time was how underrepresented women are in STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — jobs across the United States. Kapri, originally from India, said she wanted to make a positive impact in the lives of women aspiring to work in STEM.
“Women are still very underrepresented in tech,” said Kapri, now president of the Girls Who Code chapter at Georgia State and an Honors College student at the university. “We felt like we could help change things.”
Women make up one third of the STEM workforce in the U.S., according to a National Science Foundation report. Kapri, who graduates in December, has helped mentor women at GSU, even helping organize the school’s first all-women hackathon event called HackHers.
At HackHers, sponsored by Girls Who Code, participants were tasked with creating a code, a presentation, a physical product or an app mock-up that would enhance the everyday lives of women. Representatives from Google, Uber, FanDuel, AT&T and Southern Company were in attendance.
“A lot of companies showed up and helped us support our mission,” Kapri said. “One representative from Google said she hasn’t seen this many girls working together. She saw the change we were trying to make and that’s encouraging.”
Encouragement is what has fueled Kapri’s experience at GSU. She said she’s thankful for the support of her peers and instructors who made her feel welcome.
Kapri traveled to the United States in 2021 during a peak period in the COVID-19 pandemic. At 18, she decided to attend Georgia State after she received a full out-of-state tuition scholarship.
“The first year was very challenging. It was difficult learning a new country, getting homesick and adapting to the changes around me,” Kapri said. “At Georgia State, I learned how to do things on my own.”
Kapri said Georgia State’s diversity was exactly what she hoped for by moving to the U.S.
“I wanted to be exposed to meeting different people,” Kapri said. “I’ve met so many amazing people from different countries while being here. I’ve learned so much about different cultures and I think that’s what helped me grow so much.”
Kapri recently accepted a full-time position to work for EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young) as a technology consultant helping businesses implement software.
“I still can’t believe it’s happening. It’s amazing that I've come this far. It feels unreal to me,” Kapri said.