ECU student named a Google Women Techmakers Scholar
East Carolina University’s Tiffany Nguyen was named a 2019 Google Women’s Techmaker Scholar. She’ll receive $10,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year and attended the Google Scholars Summit in Santa Clara, California. (Courtesy Photo)
An East Carolina University computer science major has been named a Google Women Techmakers Scholar.
Tiffany Nguyen, a senior from Cary, will receive $10,000 for the upcoming academic year. She received the scholarship based on her impact on diversity, demonstrated leadership and academic background, according to Google.
“I was pretty much in shock,” Nguyen said of the moment she learned she had earned the scholarship. “I saw the email during a meeting for one of our student organizations. I just remember looking at the other officers in disbelief.”
As part of the scholarship, Nguyen attended the Google Scholars’ Retreat this summer in Mountain View, California.
“The summit was an amazing experience that allowed me to connect with other students from the various scholarship groups that Google hosts, including Women Techmakers, Generation Google, Lime and Student Veterans of America,” Nguyen said. “Not only did we learn a lot about ways to grow professionally and academically in the field, but we were also encouraged to form meaningful connections with the other scholars and continue to advocate for underrepresented groups in tech.”
East Carolina University’s Tiffany Nguyen was named a 2019 Google Women’s Techmaker Scholar. She’ll receive $10,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year and attended the Google Scholars Summit in Santa Clara, California. (Courtesy Photo)
Nguyen, who is also an EC Scholar, said the best part about the retreat was an activity called “Who Am I” in which students got to know each other beyond achievements listed on a resume.
“I really enjoyed this activity because it showed that the differences between all of us are actually much smaller than we may initially think,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen said the biggest thing she took away from the retreat involved the resiliency of all the students.
“During the trip, my cohort of scholars shared not just their successes, but also their struggles with me,” Nguyen said. “There is a certain feeling of strength and community within resiliency, and that lesson was apparent in every story shared at the summit. I relearned that every single person you meet has their own life, their own struggles and their own stories to share. I’m truly inspired knowing that this diverse group of individuals is what the future of tech looks like.”
East Carolina University’s Tiffany Nguyen, standing second from left, poses with other 2019 Google Scholar recipients near the Golden Gate Bridge. Nguyen will receive $10,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year and attended the Google Scholars Summit in Santa Clara, California. (Courtesy Photo)
Nguyen has another year left at ECU and then will look toward a career.
“I want to become a leader in health care technology where I can implement solutions that may help some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” Nguyen said. “I also want to continue to advocate for underrepresented groups in technology and help create opportunities for these individuals to explore their interests in the field.”
According to Google, the goal of the scholarship program is to recognize challenges faced by students from historically underrepresented groups in the tech industry and to strive to make education more accessible by creating programs to engage students from around the world. The program not only allows scholars to learn about Google and the company’s culture, but also to network with fellow scholars and participate in professional development, while empowering the students to encourage and inspire others.
— By Ken Buday, University Communications