Linda Tondi is a student at the Liceo Scientifico Enrico Fermi in Bologna. In her free time, she likes to play the guitar and dance to hip hop music. She loves Queen and the Guns ‘n’ Roses and attends her church at the weekend. She chose to participate in Coding Girls follo the advice of some classmates. Here is her fun interview with Alberta Testa [@Alberta_FMD], who has recently started heading the Fondazione Mondo Digitale Press Office.
Now that you have attended the first lessons, do you agree with your classmates’ advice?
“Yes, absolutely. Coding Girls is a very interesting and stimulating programme. The lessons the seem very well organised and presented. In particular, I was interested in the techniques and tools for developing an app. And I have already experimented with what I learned in the “virtual classroom.”
After nearly three years of distance learning, what do you think about virtual lessons?
“Distance learning certainly had consequences on learning methods. Spending much more time in front of a computer, one learns to use technology and digital tools better, but also loses some of that direct interaction that stimulates learning and creativity.”
What was the hardest moment of the pandemic?
“The hardest moments coincided with the beginning of the lockdown and the reopening. Such sudden changes can alter many equilibria, even though it’s true that at my age we can adapt quickly.”
What do you think your generation will treasure from this experience?
“We certainly learned what it means to respect rules, which is surely something positive. However, I believe that we can also look at the other side of the coin: we learned to be responsible too soon. We lost part of our carefreeness.”
Dreams and plans for the future?
“I love Mathematics since I was in middle and high school. Thanks to didactic labs, I discovered that Physics was my thing. I would like to get a job that has practical implications, so I think I will take a degree in mechanical engineering.”
Mechanical engineering is very much a man’s world. Does it scare you to be one of the few women who may work in such an environment?
“No, not at all. And although it’s true that there are stereotypes about our talent and pursuing careers in such fields, I don’t believe it will be too difficult for my generation.”
How do you think we can fight (and overcome) such stereotypes and cultural legacies?
“With projects like Coding Girls! I believe that raising awareness amongst students on gender equality in STEM is the first step towards overcoming these obstacles that still exist.”
Have you ever been treated differently on account of your gender?
“No, luckily, I have never had any problems of this nature. However, my Italian professor addressed this issue many times. It’s important to keep attention high.”
It’s not the first time that somebody your age trusts the ability of the new generations to recognise and overcome gender stereotypes. Nor is it the first time that one of you says they have never been involved in gender discrimination dynamics. On the one hand, this is reassuring. It means that in 10 years (the age difference between interviewer and interviewee), things have changed. On the other however, it poses a question: why are there still so few young women enrolling in scientific university programmes?
“I think it’s instinctive. The generation before ours suffered strong discrimination and some stereotypes and cultural legacies have taken root in the mind of all women. And although the gap is slowly closing, our subconscious withholds the belief that women are not meant for scientific subjects. Perhaps, this is why many women believe they can’t do it. They give up before even starting.”
You didn’t give up. What made the difference?
“I believe it was my family. Both my mother and father are engineers. Many of my memories are about their experiments. They taught me to programme chipsets and love coding. However, there also is a book that inspired me.”
Would you like to share it with us?
“Sure, Frontiers by Isaac Asimov”.
