Penn State’s Association of Women in Computing (AWC) is a place where women and nonbinary people can learn more about the resources available in a technical field.
Held in W375 Westgate Building every Thursday from 6:30-7:30 p.m., meetings consist of bonding, food and discussions surrounding opportunities for women and nonbinary people in majors such as computer science, information sciences and technology, computer engineering and electrical engineering.
AWC not only facilitates relationships between those in technical majors, but also provides networking and outreach possibilities.
President Ananya Gollakota has been a member of AWC since her first year at Penn State.
“I would say my favorite part is all of it,” Gollakota, a third-year studying computer science, said. “I really do love the socials though. We have fun events like 2000 Degrees (pottery making), bracelet making and intramural fitness classes. I also do love the GBMs (general body meetings) where we get to meet our corporate sponsors, have ‘Tech Talks’ or hear from people in the community.”
Gollakota said she joined AWC after seeing a booth for it at the Involvement Fair.
Members of the Association of Women in Computing participate in arts and crafts during a general body meeting.
“I just thought it was a really nice club because I’m a computer science major and there is that gender gap in tech, so having a club just dedicated to advancing and supporting women in computer science was something that was really appealing to me,” Gollakota said. “It’s also great to just talk to other women in STEM who are going through similar challenges and to just have that community, because I think it can be hard to find sometimes.”
Gollakota said the club mainly offers general body meetings, but that they have plenty of other events as well. “Tech Talks” are workshops where members can learn about technology in a nonacademic setting.
Vice President Veronica Jenkins has been a member of AWC for four years and said that her favorite part of being involved in the club is having a community of women to connect with about struggles within studies.
“Usually you’re in a class and there’s not any other girls, or you’re one of two girls, so it’s nice to find a community where you feel like you can relate and feel respected,” Jenkins, a fourth-year studying computational data sciences, said.
Jenkins said she initially got involved because she wanted to be part of a club related to her major.
Members of the Association of Women in Computing pose for a photo with one of its corporate sponsors, Accenture.
“AWC is very lowkey, and we have lots of fun,” Jenkins said. “That’s why I stayed in the club for as long as I have. We also have a lot of awesome sponsors that come in to talk with us.”
Jenkins said she would recommend that others join AWC because it brings people together and provides a close-knit community during both general body meetings and socials.
“Typically at our meetings, we start with announcements and then we’ll either have a corporate sponsor come in and discuss roles and professional development, or other times we’ll have fun things like card-making that we sent to cancer patients or cookie decorating,” Jenkins said. “Sometimes we’ll have professional development curated by the exec board.”
Chloe Yip, the director of advertising for the club, said she loves connecting with other women within her major, particularly in the College of Engineering.
“It’s like the biggest school at Penn State, so it’s hard to connect with other students and women in the school,” Yip, a second-year studying computer science, said. “It’s a really great sense of community, and that’s what drew me to AWC. It’s basically like I’m meeting more friends in an easy way.”
Yip said that others should join because it’s a simple way to meet other women in technical fields.
“We do a lot of networking and bonding,” Yip said. “It’s a little bit of everything that you would want as a student. We have a lot of fun together and can grow as a community. I love AWC.”
Besides all of the professional and academic aspects, AWC is also a great space to grab a snack.
“I’ll just say, there is free pizza,” Jenkins said.
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