Promoting Gender Equality in Computer Science: A discussion with Micaela Consens
By: Emily Nguyen
Tags: Gender Equality, Women in STEM, Computer Science, Female Empowerment, Technology

Promoting Gender Equality in Computer Science: A discussion with Micaela Consens

The computer science (CS) discipline spans a range of topics from theoretical studies of algorithms and computation to the practical matters of implementing computing systems in hardware and software. Despite the high job demand, computer science remains a male-dominated field in North America. In response, many academic institutions are increasing their efforts to recruit female computer science students and encouraging them to pursue careers in the field.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Micaela Consens, a 4th year student at U of T. She is pursuing a Bioinformatics Specialist, Computer Science major and Biology minor. Micaela is also the Co-president of Women in Computer Science (WiCS) at U of T St. George, a club striving to support and empower self-identifying women in CS. With her passions for problem-solving and tech, Micaela shared her experiences with CS advocacy and provided some suggestions for individuals interested in pursuing a field that would benefit from more brilliant female minds.

Micaela Consens, 4th year Bioinformatics, Computer Science, and Biology student at the University of Toronto

Why did you choose computer science as your area of study?

In high school I was enrolled in a Math and Computer Science program, and took my first coding class in ninth grade. While I can confidently say the code I wrote at the time was abhorrent, I did enjoy the problem-solving aspect of the assignments we were given. My final project was to build a 3D tic tac toe game in Turing without the use of any libraries. At that point in my extremely limited academic career, it was the only project I’d ever been assigned at school that was challenging to me, and I loved it. In the end, my game worked, but it was composed of about 1,000 lines of spaghetti code. Despite enjoying the course I thought of the field of computer science as more of a side interest than a potential career or area of study. This changed when I entered university and realized that the theme of courses that challenged me and pushed me to think in new ways, continued to be defined by courses in the field of CS. I realized that that’s what I enjoyed most.

Do you have any particular WiCS events that were your favourite to organize?

WiCS is known for collaborating with several companies to provide networking opportunities for students. For instance, they have run events with Accenture, Microsoft, Google, Bloomberg, and Goldman Sachs.

Micaela’s favourite event this year was a fundraiser she organized with WiCS Co-President Anjali and Vice President Alexandra. They ran a raffle to raise money for the STEMHub Foundation, a Black-run charity based in the GTA focused on helping visible minorities enter and receive support in STEM fields.

During this time, I personally reached out to STEMHub founder Dr. Adeola Olumbamiji, and many other inspiring women (Professor Mihaela Vlasea, Rejeanne Aimey, Angella Mignon-Smith and Dr. Rita Orji) to hear about their accomplishments and showcase them on the WiCS social media. This cemented to me how much STEM fields benefit from the inclusion of minorities.

In the end WiCS raised an impressive $8,889.49 for the STEMHub Foundation, which they have used to run multiple free workshops and classes for youth in the Greater Toronto Area. Micaela cites this experience as a highlight of her time in WiCS and she looks forward to planning future events next semester.

Women only account for 30% of CS and math graduates in Canada. Have you faced any challenges as a woman pursuing CS in terms of acquiring opportunities like internships or coping with imposter’s syndrome?

Micaela stated that she has been fortunate to have positive experiences in the majority of places she has worked within the field of CS and the hardest challenges she’s faced were mostly confined to academic settings.

They included not being listened to when I would speak in certain group settings, or being told that I received an opportunity simply because I fill a diversity quota, or having someone suggest I was chosen for a position based on the way I look. Ultimately, as my career has progressed these instances have become less and less, and I’ve become more adept at dealing with them.

In terms of imposter syndrome, Micaela acknowledges that it is quite prevalent among women-identifying individuals in U of T CS. Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent fear of being exposed as an undeserving individual in their work, academic, or extra-curricular environments. Despite evidence of their competence, those experiencing imposter syndrome remain convinced that they do not deserve all they have achieved. While early research focused on the prevalence of imposter syndrome among high-achieving women, it has been known to affect both men and women equally.

While I’m aware that impostor syndrome sometimes goes hand-in-hand with personality traits that drive high-achieving individuals, and that it’s a common theme at U of T in general, I do think the problem is exacerbated for minorities in certain academic fields dominated by one phenotype. I’ve often found myself questioning my successes, and I think that’s a normal thing to do. It’s important to just remind myself that I’m equally responsible for both my failures and my achievements and to talk about any feelings of inadequacy I have with other people who feel the same way and can receive that information without judgement.

However, to address this issue, WiCS is aiming to run an event on impostor syndrome for women in tech in the New Year. Ultimately, bringing awareness to these matters will help reduce the stigma around feelings of inadequacy and help increase personal confidence.

Who are your role models in CS/tech?

Micaela has 2 main role models, forerunners in the CS field who have both contributed much advocacy work in addition to discovering new theories and technology.

Her first role model is Mary W. Jackson, who worked in the segregated West Area Computing Unit as a “human computer” before becoming NASA’s first Black female engineer. During this time she wrote multiple research reports on the behavior of the boundary layer of air around airplanes. She then became a human resources administrator to support the hiring of women and minorities at NASA in 1978.

Micaela’s second role model is Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian-American actress, inventor, and film producer. She is known for breaking gender stereotypes and was the inspiration for the character of Cat Woman. Furthermore, she filed a patent with George Antheil in 1941 for “frequency-hopping technology,” the technology that made secure Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth possible today.

What advice do you have for someone who is interested in pursuing CS?

My advice would be not to be discouraged by other people’s journeys. There are so many different paths that people take to the same destination within the field of CS, and all of them are valid. Additionally, there are so many subfields within CS that offer something unique and exciting to learn about, and it’s okay to not want the most traditional career path in this discipline.

Micaela also reminds individuals to be mindful about CS stereotypes. Factors such as image, mannerism, career trajectory, and grades are not absolute. Students should not be defined by these common perceptions and seek to establish their own personality and niche in their field of interest.

Ultimately, it is important to focus on what you enjoy doing and what you want to get out of your experiences. — Micaela Consens

In conclusion, CS is a diverse field with many career options. If you are interested in finding a CS supportive community with individuals like Micaela, consider joining student-led groups like WiCS and exploring relevant course and program options in university. The future is bright for female programmers — seize each opportunity and follow your interests!