YOUTH STEM

SUCCESS PATH
AGENDA
•Introduction
•Society of Women Engineers/SWENEXT
•Siham Hussein- Software Engineer at Google
•Patricia Barker- licensed Professional Engineer. 
•Robin Pals Rylaarsdam- Dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences at Saint
Engineering and Xavier University Sectors Need Women
Technology
Esraa Aburass
Esraa, 23, a Palestinian Arab-American who was
born in Saudi Arabia and raised In
Jordan. Esraa has completed her education in the
U.S. and obtained her bachelor degree in finance
along side her double minors in Sociology and
Middle Eastern Studies at Saint Xavier University.
As an Arab-American she believes in giving back
to the Arab community. She started her mission in
Summer of 2016 where she was an Outreach
Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She currently works in a
non-profit organization called “Society of Women
Engineers” as a Coordinator.
 STEM
• Science- 7‫لعلوم‬77‫ا‬
• Technology- ‫لتكنولوجيا‬77‫ا‬
• Engineering- ‫لهندسة‬77‫ا‬
• Mathematics –‫لرياضيات‬77‫ا‬
Engineering and Technology Sectors Need Women
QUEEN OF THE
CURVES
• Zaha Hadid Iraqi-British Architect
• She studied mathematics at the American University
of Beirut
• In 2004 She was the first women to be awarded The
Pritzker Prize.
• She designed almost 1000 Projects
• She won an award every year since 2000
• She was ranked among the top 100 powerful women
• She was a very successful teacher at Harvard
• She has a very Successful line of Shoe Design labeled
as “The Lady Gaga of Architecture”
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
 Empower women to achieve full
potential in careers as engineers and
leaders, expand the image of the
MISSION engineering and technology professions
as a positive force in improving the
quality of life and demonstrate the
value of diversity and inclusion.
 A world with gender
VISION
parity and equality
in engineering and
technology.
SWE RESOURCES
• Want to learn more about SWE
• Visit SWE.org
• Interested in joining SWE NEXT
• Visit Swenext.swe.org
• Email Outreach@swe.org for more information.
Engineering and Technology Sectors Need Women
 Siham Hussein
Siham is a Software Engineer working on
Google's Data Liberation team in Chicago. She is
primarily focused on developing the open source
Data Transfer Project in collaboration with
engineers from Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.
Before working on Data Liberation, Siham
worked on backend infrastructure for Search and
Display Ads at Google. Siham volunteers with
Girls Who Code at UIC where she received her
BS in Computer Science and is currently
pursuing her master's degree also in
computer science.
Life of a Software
Engineer

Aqsa School - 3/9/2020

Siham
Software Engineer
Data Liberation Front
Privacy & Data Protection Office
Chicago
seehamrun@
Path to Google
Intern
AWS
Student
Computer Science Software Engineer
Google Takeout & Data
Transfer Project, Chicago

Software Engineer
Google Search
Infrastructure, Chicago

Software Engineer
Undergraduate Google Ads Infrastructure
Siham Research NYC
CHI UIC
What does this mean
exactly…?
cool stuff that
matters for
billions of
people
What is computer science?
Computer science is a field where people learn to use
computers or computational thinking to solve interesting
and important problems.

Computers can take "algorithms," like recipes that humans

invent and process them very quickly to complete
certain actions.
First computer: 1943
 Ada Lovelace

First computer: 1943

First computer program: 1843
 Some may think:
Computer science is just
about learning technology
Computer science is just
about learning technology
Computer science is
about logic, problem
solving, and creativity
 Living our
Values
Google’s mission is to organize the
world’s information and make it
universally accessible and useful.

When we say we want to build for

everyone, we mean everyone.

To do that well, we need a workforce

that’s more representative of the users
Source:we serve.
Google Diversity Annual Report 2019
Diversity, equity, and inclusion at Google

As Googlers, we are committed to:

● Continuously working to make sure Google is a

fair and inclusive place to work for everyone

● Expanding the ways we find and hire our next

generation of Googlers
Diversity, equity, and inclusion at Google (and beyond)

As Googlers, we are committed to:

● Bringing computer science education

to more students, makers, and future
Googlers

● Working to ensure that all

communities can access and benefit
from technology

Source: diversity.google
From our principles to our benefits,
we want Google to
be a great place to work

… but what is software

engineering ?
Computers are very, very dumb
● They can’t do anything on their own. Humans need to tell them
exactly what to do
● Some examples of what people needed to do to get Google search
to work:
○ Find web pages across the entire internet and learn what they contain
○ Show suggestions based on what you type
○ Check spelling and figure out what you meant to type
○ Show links to related news articles and videos
○ Show extra information if you searched for a person/company/movie/band/game…
○ ...and much much much much much much much much more!
How Search Works
 Some may think:
The tech industry is
desperately trying to hire
computer programmers in
California
The tech every industry is
desperately trying to hire
computer programmers in
California everywhere
Technology affects every field
Sports, Movies, Video Games, Climate
Change ...
 Medicine, Music, Fashion,
Communication ... You Name It!
Every 21st century student should
have a chance to learn about
algorithms, how to make apps,
and how the internet works.
 New programs and pathways

Expand the Bring Ensure all

ways we find Computer communities can
and hire Science to access and
Googlers more benefit from the
students web
Life of an Engineer

Problem Solving
Creativity
& Analysis

Teamwork

Building things Troubleshooting

 Deadline: March 13th
girlswhocode.com/summer-immersion-programs/
Deadline: March 31st
wiep.uic.edu/k12/wiesp
 wiep.uic.edu/k12/gwcuic/
Applications for 2020 - 2021 coming soon!
g.co/cssi - applications open up Feb 2021
Thank you. Questions?
Patricia Barker
Patricia Barker is a licensed Professional
Engineer.  She graduated from the University of
Illinois, C-U with a BS in Civil Engineering. 
Growing up on a farm in Southern Illinois, she
worked as an Engineer in Minnesota, Iowa and
Illinois.  She retired from Robinson Engineering,
Ltd. in 2018 as a Partner and Vice President of
the Transportation Department.  She served 15
years as Village Engineer for municipalities in the
South and Southwest Suburbs,  including 10
years as Village Engineer for the Village of
Bridgeview.
We can only see a SHORT distance ahead,
but we can see
PLENTY
there that needs to be done.

Alan Turing – British Computer Scientist

Engineering a BETTER STEM Works
World! Patricia Barker, PE
Retired, Robinson Engineering
STEAM
Why be an Engineer?
https://youtu.be/zoHm5
AXeYYQ
Engineering: Engineering is the application of knowledge in the
form of science, mathematics, and empirical evidence, used to
improve the welfare of mankind.

Everything around you has been touched by engineering.

Civil engineering is arguably the oldest engineering discipline. It

deals with the built environment.
Engineers are problem solvers.
→Use available technology to solve problems
→Rely on creativity and academic skills
→Use math, science, and computers
It is very important to note that even though the
tasks are very different, many of the methods
used are common to all engineers.
Egyptians
• GREEKS
• ROMANS
• MAYANS
• AZTECS
71st STREET GRADE SEPARATION
84 Inch
Storm Sewer
84”
• EXCAVATION PRIOR TO JUMP SPAN
• JUMP SPAN INSTALLATION
• UNDERPASS EXCAVATION
• RETAINING WALLS
• READY FOR TRAFFIC
 If you can't fly, then RUN.
If you can't run, then WALK.
If you can't walk, then CRAWL.
But whatever you do,
YOU HAVE TO KEEP MOVING.

Martin Luther King, Jr. – Civil Rights Activist and Pastor

 水滴石穿，绳锯木断
WATER DROPS PIERCE STONE;
ROPE SAWS CUT WOOD.
Chinese Saying
Water button
WATER TOWER
SAFETY
IMPROVEMENTS
Sometimes dreams
. are wiser than waking.

Black Elk – Oglala Sioux Medicine Man

Going green?
 How to Become an Engineer!
Tips:
•Take as much math and science as possible
•Take ACT and SAT
•Consider Co-Op Schools
•Look for scholarships
If you are always trying to be normal,
you will never know how

AMAZING
you can be.

Maya Angelou – American Poet

Robin Pals Rylaarsdam
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint
Xavier University. Before entering administration, she
directed a research laboratory involved in drug
discovery for McCune-Albright Syndrome patients
that garnered NIH and NSF funding and trained over
forty future scientists, physicians, dentists, and other
healthcare workers during their undergraduate years.
Her interests and work at the intersection of science
and faith led to her election as a fellow of the
American Scientific Affiliation in 2015. Dr. Rylaarsdam
earned her B.A. from Northwestern College (IA), and
her Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Molecular
Biology and Genetics.