You Got This
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You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You Editor’s 2 Fig. note For many years, Palantir has hosted a booth at the Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing. We leave every year feeling inspired and energized by the speakers we hear and fellow technologists we meet. You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You I love Grace Hopper because it doesn’t feel like a dreaded “networking event,” but truly — as its name implies — a celebration of community. The conversations I have at Grace Hopper are illuminating and encouraging. I feel that we’re all making a good faith attempt to engage and learn from one another in pursuit of a shared goal: Now, a year later, that book note Editor’s building a future we want to live in. 1 Fig. is in your hands. I personally read every submission, and it was Editor’s note Editor’s The mementos we take away from Grace Hopper — my difficult task to select the ones T-shirts and water bottles and lip balms — don’t we included. capture that spirit. Worse, they often get thrown away. So in 2017, we decided to try something different. Reading the cards was moving We printed notecards and asked attendees to write in the way that attending Grace down some words of wisdom for future technologists, Hopper is moving: I felt the spirit with the idea that we’d collect them into a book. of a community that wants to better itself. Our contributors know why it’s important that the tech industry become more inclusive, and they exhort techies from underrepresented backgrounds to stick it out. 1 2 In the following pages, you’ll read words of wisdom and encouragement from your peers in industry and academia, 3 Fig. alongside quotes from historic women changemakers. We’ve broken these out along the following themes: Believe in yourself Mantras for the days when your goals seem out of reach Do the work Practical advice for taking You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You on insurmountable challenges Find your community Tips on building an ecosystem of support to help yourself and others thrive Focus on the future Reminders to keep you oriented toward your end goals Editor’s note Editor’s If these words of wisdom are any indicator, the next generation of technologists is ready to build a more supportive, more inclusive community. I hope this book helps you along that journey. Dana Palantir Technologies September 2018 3 Believe in yourself A shipinportissafe, ships are built for. ships arebuilt but that’s notwhat Grace Hopper* You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You Believe in yourselfBelieve in 1906—1992 *Quoting John A.*Quoting Shedd John Fig. 4 Computer Science Computer scientist and Rear Admiral in the United States Navy who helped create, among other things, the UNIVAC I computer and the COBOL programming language 9 Fig. 5 It is not easy to be You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You a pioneer — but oh, is it fascinating! Elizabeth Blackwell Believe in yourselfBelieve in Medicine States United the in degree a medical receive to woman First 1821—1910 13 Do the work Take all the courses in your curriculum. Fig. 6 Do the research. Ask questions. Find You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You someone doing what you are interested Do the work in! Be curious! Katherine Johnson Physics and Mathematics Freedom of Medal Presidential the of NASA at recipient and Mathematician b. 1918 29 What we find is that if you have a goal that Fig. 7 is very, very far out, and you approach it You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You in little steps, you start to get there faster. Do the work Your mind opens up to the possibilities. Mae Jemison Astrophysics space in travel to woman African-American First b. 1956 33 Find your community When you succeed, don’t forget Fig. 8 the responsibility of making somebody You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You else succeed with you. Antonia Novello Find your community your Find Medicine States United the First woman and first Hispanic person to serve as Surgeon General of General Surgeon to serveas person Hispanic first and woman First b. 1944 41 I was able to stand on the shoulders Fig. 9 of those women who came before You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You me, and women who came after me were able to stand on mine. Find your community your Find Christine Darden Mathematics, Aeronautics Mathematics, and aeronauticalMathematician engineer b. 1942 45 Fig. 10 It is invaluable to have You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You a friend who shares your interests and helps you stay motivated. Find your community your Find Maryam Mirzakhani Mathematics Medal Fields the win to woman first and Stanford at mathematics of Professor 1977—2017 49 Focus on the future These were moments of exhilaration and F i g . 11 ecstasy! A glimpse of this wonder You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You can be the reward of a lifetime. Could it be that excitement Focus on the future and ennobling feelings like these have kept us scientists marching forward forever? Physics Physics in Prize Wolf inaugural the of winner and physicist Experimental 1912—1997 55 Chien-Shiung Wu This job is a great scientific adventure. Fig. 12 But it’s also a great human adventure. You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You Mankind has made giant steps forward. However, what Focus on the future we know is really very, very little compared to what we still have to know. Physics CERN of to serveDirector-General as woman first the and physicist Particle b. 1960 59 Fabiola Gianotti Fig. 13 All sorts of things can You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You happen when you’re open to new ideas and playing around Focus on the future with things. Stephanie Kwolek Chemistry Chemist who invented, among other things, Kevlar 1923—2014 63 Photo techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You sources Fig. 1 Masterson, Pauline. “Our call for submissions at the Grace Fig. 8 Bettmann. “Surgeon General Dr. Antonia Novello Testifying Before Hopper Conference.” 4 Oct. 2017. Senate.” Getty Images, 9 Feb. 1990, https://www.gettyimages.com/ license/515363600. Fig. 2 Masterson, Pauline. “An attendee writing down her words of wisdom.” 4 Oct. 2017. Fig. 9 Doherty, Greg. “U.S. Coast Guard Base Los Angeles-Long Beach Hosts Talk with ‘Hidden Figures’ Former NASA Aerospace Engineer Christine You got this: words of wisdom from techies, for techies for techies, from wisdom of words this: got You Fig. 3 Masterson, Pauline. “Cards full of Grace Hopper attendees’ Darden.” Getty Images, 16 Mar. 2018, https://www.gettyimages.com/l advice for future technologists.” 4 Oct. 2017. icense/932921196. Fig. 4 Johnson, Cynthia. “Grace M. Hopper.” Getty Images, 1 Feb. 1984, Fig. 10 Vondrak, Jan. Maryam Mirzakhani. https://www.gettyimages.com/license/50336184. Warman, Manny. Chien Shiung in Lab. University Archives, Rare F i g . 11 Photo sources Photo Fig. 5 Bettmann. “Elizabeth Blackwell.” Getty Images, Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University in the City of New York. https://www.gettyimages.com/license/515448936. F i g . 12 Coffrini, Fabrice. “Switzerland-Sciences-Physics-Particle.” Getty Images, Photo sources Photo Fig. 6 Katherine Johnson Portrait.” Getty Images, Donaldson Collection, 1960, 9 May 2017, https://www.gettyimages.com/license/680606892. https://www.gettyimages.com/license/627024522. F i g . 13 Stephanie Kwolek in laboratory among cones and bobbins of yarn spun Fig. 7 de Boer, Maarten. “2018 Winter TCA Portrait Studio.” Getty Images, there. Stephanie Kwolek Photographs Collection, Kwolek_2014248_ 13 Jan. 2018, https://www.gettyimages.com/license/905609962. 01_01_07_009, Hagley Museum and Library. 67 68 Quotes collected at the 2017 Grace Hopper Celebration Editor: Dana Cass Designer: Sophia Umansky Producer: Pauline Masterson .