Coding Girls in Salerno: A look back at Friday.
As we reported in Friday's news, the preparatory phase for the Eyes on the Web Challenge that took place at the University of Salerno was full of highly inspiring speakers and presentations. The contributions were coordinated by Delfina Malandrino, Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, the soul and driving force of the event, who was celebrated with an applause full of affection and admiration at the end of the event [see news: A Missing Persons Unit Challenge].
Here are some passages from the training phase: “To the girls I say: have the courage to follow your dreams. At this table, we are all women. If we are here, it is because we believed in our potential. The future is yours.” This is how Pasqualina Memoli, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Salerno, summarized her thoughts on the importance of initiatives focusing on training and orientation like today's.
Filomena Ferrucci, Coordinator of the PhD in Computer Science, highlighted the importance of making new technologies inclusive. And the need to prevent them from reproducing dangerous biases, including gender ones.
Tamara Zancan, Director of Cybersecurity, Compliance, and Identity at Microsoft Italia, in video conference, said: "We have been collaborating with Fondazione Mondo Digitale for over 10 years to accompany young men and women towards STEM careers." And she concluded wishing: “May today be a day towards a future of cybersecurity!””
Giuliana Muto, CEO of Bamboo Innovation, participated in the inspirational talk session. Giuliana told the girls how to overcome "the obstacles that separate us from achieving our goals. In life, I often met people who tried to discourage me, to tell me that I wouldn't make it. They told me: you're not a man. To do this job, you need a square head." For a period Giuliana was influenced by these words. Today, however, she has an answer ready: "it's true, I'm a woman and I have a round head! And do you know what? I'm also a STEM woman and proud of it."
There also was a very special person working in the background – Valentina Gelsomini – who is celebrating a double anniversary: 10 years with the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and 10 years with the Coding Girls. It's difficult to explain exactly what Valentina does. In the "About Us" section of the site it says that she is responsible for technical infrastructure and educational resources, perhaps because in the Atlas of work her role has not been codified yet. We'll just tell you that she was up until 3 in the morning solving technical problems that risked compromising the challenge. Today, we asked her "why do you do it?". And Valentina replied that "seeing the commitment, passion, happiness, and smiles of all the people who participate in the Coding Girls experience repays her for all the effort, including spinning like a top." And what would you say today to the Valentina who started out as a volunteer two decades ago? “You did well!” our precious problem solver replies without hesitation.
