{"id":36639,"date":"2026-02-27T08:53:54","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/stem\/?p=36639"},"modified":"2026-02-27T08:53:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:53:57","slug":"ghc-25-empowers-women-in-masters-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/stem\/news\/2026\/02\/27\/ghc-25-empowers-women-in-masters-programs","title":{"rendered":"GHC 25 empowers women in master’s programs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every year, the Grace Hopper Celebration welcomes women and allies in tech from around the world to learn, network and celebrate their achievements<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, GHC took place in Chicago, Illinois, where four STEM master\u2019s students received scholarships to attend thanks to our Department of Computing & Software Systems continuing to sponsor the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Ramazani and Saniya Bhaladhare, both students in the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering<\/a> program, and Sonal Singh and Chandramathi Murugadass, students in the Master of Science in Computer Science & Software Engineering<\/a> program, attended the four-day conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m especially grateful that UW Bothell was a GHC sponsor, since it gave us sponsor-level benefits, including unlimited access to the career fairs, which made a huge difference,\u201d Ramazani said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the event, they engaged in hands-on sessions, connected with industry professionals and explored countless opportunities for learning and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was very aware of the opportunity that attending [GHC] offers,\u201d Singh said. \u201cIt provides a unique platform to network at a much larger scale and connect with people across different roles and organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"From
From left to right: Sonal Singh and Saniya Bhaladhare at GHC 25. Photo provided by Sonal Singh.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Empowering conversations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Representatives from companies like Meta, Disney, Citadel, Morgan Stanley and Intuit were in attendance, along with other prominent figures in the tech and business world, like Adam Cheyer, co-founder of Siri, who spoke on AI and the future of technology, and Vivian Tu, businesswoman and founder of Your Rich BFF, who spoke on financial education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a mix of speaker sessions, workshops and other activities, the conference’s interactive, conversation-based approach of created a highly valuable experience for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the most important lessons I learned was that everyone\u2019s journey comes with roadblocks,\u201d Bhaladhare said. \u201cMany speakers openly shared the challenges they faced along the way, which reinforced the idea that setbacks are part of growth. I learned that believing in yourself and staying consistent while working toward your goals is what truly matters, even when the path feels uncertain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other attendees shared sentiments of feeling inspired and empowered after hearing other people\u2019s stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murugadass, who had once been the only woman in an engineering management team, was excited to learn from other attendees and connect with a wider community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPersonally, for me this is the first ever conference where I got to meet so many fellow women working in tech,\u201d Murugadass said. \u201cWhen I got to meet so many women who were able to relate to my experiences I was thrilled with joy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chandramathi
Chandramathi Murugadass at GHC 25. Photo provided by Chandramathi Murugadass.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Preparing for careers in tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Singh, seeing others\u2019 enthusiasm and determination was impactful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeeing so many driven individuals in one place was incredibly motivating,\u201d said Singh. \u201cI also met several inspiring women in STEM, including those in leadership and management roles. Having the opportunity to speak with them, learn from their experiences, and ask questions was something I truly value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming out of the conference, students pointed out the real-world applications of the workshops and sessions they were involved in. For Singh, the workshop she attended focused on preparing for coding interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt covered critical problem-solving patterns that are frequently tested in technical interviews, and I found it to be extremely informative and practical,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ramazani attended sessions focusing on the application of AI and machine learning in cybersecurity, noting how she learned the importance of \u201cstaying adaptable as AI continues to shape the future of tech.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sarah
Sarah Ramazani at GHC 25. Photo provided by Sarah Ramazani.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Affirming community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While students expected the convention overall to be valuable and informative to their educational and professional journeys, it was community empowerment that was a major takeaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murugadass attended the conference wanting to connect with women who shared similar experiences in a male-dominated field. \u201c[Tech] is a completely level playing ground. It is merely based on an individual’s thinking ability. Every gender should have equal opportunity yet that is not the reality,\u201d Murugadass said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was able to hear from others at a women in tech breakfast event, which affirmed she was not the only one who faced that experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bhaladhare said she learned the \u201cimportance of confidence, consistency and community,\u201d which guides her moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe conference helped me build confidence in myself and my career goals, and it reminded me of the power of surrounding yourself with people who uplift and support one another,\u201d Bhaladhare said. \u201cI am incredibly grateful to the University of Washington Bothell for providing me with the opportunity to attend through a scholarship. This experience played a meaningful role in empowering me and shaping how I see my future in technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Welcome
Welcome stage at GHC 25. Photo provided by Saniya Bhaladhare.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four master\u2019s students traveled to Chicago to join thousands of women and allies in tech at the 2025 Grace Hopper Celebration, thanks to scholarships from our Department of Computing & Software Systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":637,"featured_media":36640,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,11,7],"tags":[],"school":[],"class_list":["post-36639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department-of-computing-software-systems-css","category-diversity","category-students"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nGHC 25 empowers women in master's programs - 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