So, I’ve been holding this thought in for a while—it’s fair to say that tech isn’t as diverse and inclusive as it should be. I hear this often especially after becoming a Code2040 finalist and going through that process. (Great source and incentive btw!!!)

I see it often even while still attempting to land my first job (lol). I often would go to my huge lecture halls and the majority were male and Asian or White—Very rarely would I see black or Hispanic students (and most obv female) attempting to enter the “wonderful” world of tech.

One could say that it is most definitely a structural issue. I know this from experience. Being 2nd generation Mexican-American in a low-income community we weren’t granted the funds to support a Computer science course at my high school and when I finally entered college I knew I was wayyy behind. I met kids learning to code at 14! Me being as open-minded as I can be, I took a shot at an introductory course on java (And fell in love.) So in reality part of the issue lies in one key word—EXPOSURE. Tech discrimination is most definitely real and it must be STOPPED.

Key point: I should mention Code2040 (huge shoutout to them!). Their whole mission lies on giving black and Latinx tech students the resources/community to enhance and pretty much bridge the gap so that they could enter the tech industry. Me being simply a finalist and not a fellow, I’m able to see what they can do for kids like me and it’s a beautiful thing!