Hello WiCS Students,
We hope everyone has had a great start to their fall term! There are some exciting events, programs, and opportunities lined up for this October, so take a look and mark your calendars:
WiCS Events Overview:
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Beyond Co-op: Turning Your Internships into a Career | OpenText Panel (October 1st)
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Leveraging AI to Build Security Tooling —and Staying Employed in the Process (November 12th)
Little WiCS Events & Opportunities:
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Big CSters Program (Apply by October 2nd)
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Career and Networking Workshop (October 7th)
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Study Together Cafe (October 22nd)
WiCS Volunteer Opportunities:
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Girlsmart4tech: Volunteers wanted! (October 24th)
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Mini hackathon: Volunteers wanted! (November 7th)
Other Opportunities:
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Black Technovation Girls Waterloo: Paid teaching assistants wanted!
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Jane Street Winter Programs
WiCS Events:
Beyond Co-op: Turning Your Internships into a Career | OpenText Panel
What happens after your co-op ends? Join us for an engaging conversation with three recent graduates now building their careers full-time at OpenText, who all started their journeys as co-op students at the University of Waterloo or Wilfrid Laurier University. Learn about their career journeys and experiences, the paths they’ve taken in the technology industry, and the advice they wish they had known as students. Hear firsthand how they made the most of their co-op experiences, built relationships, stood out during their work terms, and turned their internships into rewarding careers.
Date: October 1st
Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Register Here!
Leveraging AI to Build Security Tooling —and Staying Employed in the Process
Since starting her career in software development, Cailyn Edwards has witnessed the rapid rise of AI - and had to adapt on the fly in order to stay valuable (and employed). In this talk, Cailyn will break down how she leverages AI in her day-to-day work: what she no longer does (spoiler: write code), and what she does a lot more of (architecture, review, and design). She’ll share real-world use cases that show how AI is transforming security reviews at Okta, highlight where AI genuinely thrives, and dive into the changing cybersecurity landscape - explaining why security might just be one of the few fields where human intuition and critical thinking matter more than ever. To find out more about Cailyn, check out herLinkedIn page.
Date: November 12th
Time: 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Register Here!
Little WiCS Events & Opportunities:
Big CSters Program
Big CSters is a mentorship program matching lower year women in CS with upper year or alumni women in CS.
Mentees:
Get matched with an upper-year WiCS student or alum for advice on co-op, courses, campus life, and everything in between.
Sign up to be a mentee here!
Mentors:
Be the guide that you wish you had! Share your experiences, support a younger WiCS student, and help make their journey a little less overwhelming.
Sign up to be a mentor here!
Application Deadline: October 2nd
Career and Networking Workshop
First-years and upper-years are invited come together to network with one another and have your LinkedIn headshot taken! We will be offering professional photography and will be taking official pictures of you at the LinkedIn Bridge - groups will be brought over throughout the event to have their photos taken.
Come to MC Comfy and chat together with new friends, and we will have Polaroid cameras to take instant photos as well!
Date: October 7th
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: MC Comfy Lounge
Register Here!
Study Together Cafe
Midterms season is in full swing! Take some time out of your day to come with us to study and build together in the MC Comfy Lounge. We will be providing Starbucks refreshments like coffee, hot chocolate, and other fall-themed drinks! Whether you're taking a break or locking in for your next test, we hope to see you there. The sign-up form will be released in the coming weeks!
Date: October 22nd
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: MC Comfy Lounge
Stay tuned to the event page as details come out!
WiCS Volunteer Opportunities:
Girlsmart4tech: Volunteers wanted!
GIRLsmarts4tech is a free outreach program aimed at inspiring girls and gender-minority youth (grades 6 to 8) to explore technology. For more information, click here.
We are looking for individuals passionate about inspiring the next generation in tech to help us run this day-long workshop by volunteering for all or part of the day.
Date: October 24th
Location: MC 3rd floor
Shifts available:
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8:00 am – 12:30 pm (Morning)
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12:00 pm – 4:30 pm (Afternoon)
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8:00 am – 4:00 pm (All Day)
Technovation Mini-Hackathon: Volunteers wanted!
This mini-hackathon is open to girls and gender-minority youth aged 11 – 18 interested in tech entrepreneurship. During this day-long event, participants will form teams, identify a problem related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, design a tech-based solution, and pitch their idea to a panel of judges.
Whether you’re interested in mentoring, event logistics, or cheering on young changemakers, this is a fun and rewarding way to get involved before the full Technovation season begins!
Volunteer Positions:
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Topic Coach: Volunteer who specializes in answering questions about specific topics
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General Coach: Work directly with participants, answering general questions, and help keep everyone on track
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Logistics Volunteer: Helps with the overall running of the event (e.g., set-up, distributing materials, check-in, etc.)
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Judge: Help us score and select the winners of the mini-hackathon. Must be available for the EVENING shift.
Date: November 7th
Location: Davis Centre
Shifts available:
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8:00AM - 1:30PM (Half-day (AM))
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1:30PM - 7:30PM (Half-day (PM))
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8:00AM - 7:30PM (Full Day)
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8:30AM - 12:00PM (Morning)
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12:00PM- 3:30PM (Afternoon)
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3:30PM - 7:00PM (Evening)
Other Opportunities:
Black Technovation Girls Waterloo: Paid teaching assistants wanted!
Black Technovation Girls Waterloo is seeking Black women studying in the Faculty of Mathematics to support girls ages 8 to 18 in learning to code with MIT App Inventor. Responsibilities include reviewing assignments and giving feedback for approximately 20 students. The commitment is 3 hours per week, with pay of $20 per hour.
Apply by sending your resume and a brief statement of interest to BlackTechnovationGirls@gmail.com
Jane Street Winter Programs
Jane Street is offering several Winter programs to undergraduate students. All programs will take place in New York City. Note that there have been a few scheduling changes since these were last featured in our newsletter.
INSIGHT: A multi-day program where women and gender diverse individuals are invited to learn about Jane Street’s approach to solving challenges. Click here to learn more.
Runs: January 4th – January 9th
Application Deadline: October 25th
FOCUS: An opportunity to meet and learn from the Jane Street team, intended for undergraduate students who have faced barriers to accessing STEM educational opportunities. Click here to learn more.
Runs: January 11th – January 14th
Application Deadline: November 15th
FTTP: A series of classes and a team-based simulation game for a select group of first-year undergraduates. Click here to learn more.
Runs: March 21st – March 25th
Application Deadline: January 31st
Resources:
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WiCS Feedback Form: Whether you have concerns, suggestions, or ideas, we want to hear from you. Express yourself openly without revealing your identity. We’re here to listen.
Thanks for reading and good luck as midterm season begins!
Best,
WiCS