The Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) goes beyond traditional networking, it creates an environment where connections happen naturally, both inside and outside the conference. For example, I met a software engineer from Uber while waiting in a food court line, an Amazon employee in the hotel lobby, and had a 40-minute conversation with a Google employee at their booth. These spontaneous interactions turned into meaningful relationships, resulting in LinkedIn connections and referrals that supported me throughout my job search.
But GHC isn’t just about networking, it’s about the sense of belonging and empowerment that comes from being in a space filled with like-minded women in STEM. One moment that I remember is when I was waiting in line to enter the booth area, feeling nervous about how the company meet-and-greets would go. I struck up a conversation with someone next to me, and we ended up helping each other refine our introduction speeches. That small act of support embodied the spirit of GHC: women uplifting and empowering each other.
- Amya Singhal, Computer Science Student