Students walking along Ho Plaza
Woman taking a photo of a mumified bird
Duffield Hall at sunset.
Two students walking on Engineering Quad towards Duffield
Two students working on a autonomous plane

My Experience in WICC

The first interaction I had with WICC (Women in Computing at Cornell) was through Vicki — who was Photography Director before I took on the position! Having just joined the E-Board, I was worried if I would be able to pick up my position and everything that came with it, but when Vicki set up an offboarding call with me to walk me through the position, I knew I would fit right in. She helped me gain an understanding of my role, and together we planned the first WICC Class of 2024 Social.

Cornell Engineering student From then on, every interaction I’ve had with WICC has made me realize how grateful I am to have such a wonderful community. Whether it’s upperclassmen who have given me advice in career, university, and life, my Vice President who has always made sure to prioritize my mental health above any work I was assigned, or my Photo and Film Committee members who help make our events more engaging, my interactions with members of WICC have made me realize the kind of positive impact I could have on my community if I truly tried.

As Photography Director for WICC, I’ve had the pleasure of working with seven amazing Photo and Film Committee members to ideate photography campaigns and perform event photography. I have grown so much as a leader and as a photographer. WICC has given me a platform to grow my skill set, and because of that, I feel so much more prepared in taking on group projects, internships, and passion projects! Coming into Cornell, I was skeptical of any computing community. As someone who comes from a school district where STEM clubs are predominantly male, often to the point where I was the only actively participating female, I wasn’t sure if there would be space for me in the engineering community at Cornell. However, WICC has taught me the importance of creating your own table rather than fighting for a seat at a table that does not welcome you. I have felt the impact our events and campaigns have had as a G-Body member, and I continue to feel it as an E-Board member.

I hope to take everything WICC has given me and carry it forward to future endeavors!

~Neha, Cornell Engineering student and Photography Director for WICC