Caitlin Stanton

June's STEMinist of the month is Caitlin Stanton, an electrical engineering

major at Cornell University. Read about her many hackathon's def hacks(),

ProgramHers, and FwdCode. Enjoy reading the interview!!

Name

Caitlin Stanton

Age

19

Pronouns

she/her/hers

Where are you from?

New York City

College or University

Cornell University

Major

Electrical and Computer Engineering

What are things that you have done in STEM and how has that inspired you?

I started my tech career as a participant in the Girls Who Code summer immersion program in 2014, where I spent the summer learning the foundations of coding, as well as soft skills like team building, brainstorming, and public speaking. Being a part of that program really jumpstarted my interactions with the tech community in New York, and I began taking more CS classes in high school, attending hackathons on the weekends, and expanding my network of coding friends to encourage and support each other. After seeing how the tech community is fantastic but still has a ways to go when it comes to supporting minority groups and those who have less coding experience, I decided to try and make a difference by co-founding and organizing several different hackathons: def hacks(), a 24 hour hackathon for high school students by high school students that has served over 700 hackers across America; ProgramHers, an organization dedicated to immersing females in tech; and FwdCode, a hackathon to increase social awareness in college campuses. I've interned at AOL/Oath as a #BUILTBYGIRLS intern (which really helped me learn how to work in a professional environment and build products that are used by real people), IAC (which introduced me to the world of corporate structure and independent intern projects), and Girls Who Code (which allowed me to give back to the program). I'm currently interning at Qualcomm as a software engineering intern, and it's exciting to see the possibilities that technology, both with software and hardware, can offer! Other STEM initiatives I am involved in are Alpha Omega Epsilon engineering sorority, of which I am the president of the Cornell chapter, and Women in Computing at Cornell, of which I am the Vice President of Academic. All of these different experiences have allowed me to meet new people and learn about new sectors of technology, and that has inspired me to explore technology and my abilities even further.

Who is your feminist role model?

Mayim Bialik is an inspiration to me because she's able to visibly juggle so many different aspects of her life and stay strong despite any setbacks she may have. She’s a mother, yet also has a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She’s an actress, but also is able to stick to her principles as an Orthodox Jew. She’s written a book and spoken up about controversial issues like feminism. She’s a woman who isn’t afraid to follow her dreams and speak her mind, and that’s powerful.

How do you exercise self-love? What advice would you give to others who struggle with loving themselves?

It's hard to love yourself when you get a bad grade on something or have been struggling with the same part of your project for hours while others are whizzing by. What I try to reassure myself with is that nobody is a true expert at everything. Even the most accomplished geniuses had moments of doubt where they experienced something new, and that's no different for you or me or anyone that we interact with. I try to experience my mistakes as a way to grow and move forward, because otherwise I'm living a stagnant life, which isn't fun at all. The best advice I can give you as someone who is still trying to work on self-love is to think of three things at the end of every day that made you feel happy, proud, or some other positive emotion and write those down, so whenever you're feeling stressed or down you can look back at them. On the other hand, if you're ever feeling frustrated or sad, take a breather and step back from what you're doing; analyze the situation and see what you can change to maybe improve what's happening, or just take a 15 minute break and do something completely different. There's no reason to dwell on the negative when you can use it to turn that situation into something positive.

What makes you happy?

Honestly, the thing that makes me the happiest is my friends. I love spending time with them, whether it's chilling in a room and talking or exploring the city around us. They have been my backbone, my support system, my sounding board, and I can't imagine where I would be professionally, emotionally, or mentally without them.

What's an obstacle that happened to you and how did you overcome it?

When I was co-founding my first hackathon, def hacks(), there was originally not a lot of support from companies. I was 17 at the time, and it's hard to imagine companies freely writing sponsorship checks to someone that young. My co-founder and I spent weeks sending emails, making calls, and reaching out to our networks, but to no avail. Everyone was on board with our hackathon, but nobody was committed enough to share their resources. However, we managed to reach out to the right connection to secure a venue, and once one company was with us, the rest followed easily. In that instance, I learned that pushing forward and persevering with a support system by my side can take down any obstacle in my way.

Whats your ideal day?

I'd wake up to the sun and eat a giant breakfast outside, in the nice weather. If it's a weekday and I have work/school, I'd love to get through my classes or assignments with such a groove that I sit back from my work several hours later and feel like nothing has happened. After all my work is done, I'd head out and spend time with my friends, either cooking and having fun in the kitchen or exploring a new culinary district. I have the most fun when I'm surrounded by people I love and care about, and ending the night with friends is the best way to conclude a day. Then, to wind down, I'd take some time to write for my blog, update my bullet journal, and think about what's in store for the next day.

How did you get into tech?

I was originally interested in architecture, and then once I found out the amount of time you need to spend in order to be licensed, I considered mechanical engineering, so as to still be in touch with buildings and other infrastructure. My parents suggested I learn how to code if I was to go into engineering, and made me apply to join the Girls Who Code program. Going through that program and the required CS courses at my high school changed my outlook on tech and made me want to pursue it as a career path.

What's are your past accomplishments?

I've interned at Aol, IAC, Girls Who Code, and now Qualcomm. I've co-founded three successful hackathon organizations and managed dozens of people to organize each event. At Cornell, I founded and am president of our chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon. I've been featured in multiple publications for my involvement with tech diversity and education.