MEET OUR WITTY WOMEN: IQRA
This past academic year, we worked with 12 female-identifying students to develop a technical solution for the non-profit organizations Urban Institute and Child Care Aware of America. We are so proud of our fellows and all the work they accomplished, and for the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring these amazing students here on our blog.
This week we are featuring Iqra Malik. Iqra is a 3rd-year student at CUNY Baruch College majoring in Computer Information Systems Cybersecurity and minoring in Business Writing.
Why did you join the wit project?
I joined the wit project because I saw it as an opportunity to make a positive social impact using technology. There’s a common misconception that the technical skills we acquire can only be used to benefit Fortune 500 companies when you can utilize those same skills to make a difference in your community. This program was unique in that it didn’t only give us a chance to strengthen our knowledge of computer science concepts, but also apply those skills to a real-world project. After it was completed, it felt good knowing that I was able to help a non-profit organization run its operations more smoothly, so that in turn they can help those in need.
What has been your favorite part about the volunteership experience? What have you learned from the wit project?
My favorite part about this experience was collaborating with my team on building a technology solution for Child Care Aware of America. We had some interesting tasks, including implementing new features on their website’s map and adding functions to the editing platform. The code was hard to understand and tackle at first, as we also encountered a handful of technical difficulties. Nevertheless, my team and I persisted. We worked days on end to fix the code, and we finally got it to work! It may have been challenging, but it made for good memories to bond over with my teammates.
Why is it important to have more women working in tech?
It’s important to have more women working in tech because we need more role models for future generations to look up to. By having diverse groups of women join the tech workspace, it sends a message to all young girls across the world that with the right amount of determination and confidence, they can become strong female leaders too. It may not be easy to be the only woman in the board meetings, but the more female perspectives we bring to the table, we can work towards closing the gender leadership gap. Additionally, as corporate businesses hire more women, it inspires other companies to make diversity a priority to promote a safe and inclusive work environment.
What are your goals for the next year? Where do you want to be in 5 years?
My goal for the next year is to improve upon my technical skills, as it’s crucial to learn about these different concepts before starting a new job/internship. These skills are also in high demand in the current job market, so taking it upon myself to learn about these topics can help me perform well in any of my future professional roles. In 5 years, I would like to see myself working at a Fortune 500 company under a Cybersecurity/Information Security role, preferably at a financial institution such as American Express or JPMorgan or at other top companies such as Amazon, Apple, or Microsoft.
Who’s a #badass technologist you look up to?
One badass technologist I look up to is Jennifer Scandariato, who is the Global Head of Technology at Citi Bank. She was one of our guest speakers at an event I co-hosted as a part of the ISACA Cybersecurity Club. I look up to her because she is the definition of a leader. She has held multiple leadership roles within technology and has a lot of advice to share with young professionals such as ourselves. Through my one-on-one meetings with her, I’ve learned so much in terms of how to succeed in the technology field as a woman.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
In high school, I was a part of the track, floor hockey, and kickboxing teams! Each sport has made a different impact on me, as they all brought out a different competitive side of me in every game. My school was pretty small and not widely known, so we didn’t have the chance to play these sports professionally against other schools. However, I still made a lot of awesome memories with my teammates, and I wish I could go back in time just to play those sports again!