Meeting Vasu Jakkal led to new opportunities and an internship at Microsoft
As a child, Claudia dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. Then she developed a passion for science, particularly maths, and discovered that her talent could flourish when someone believed in her. A teacher in her second year of middle school believed in her, and from then on, her school life changed.
The rest was down to meeting people who could inspire and motivate her, as happened to her and Federica thanks to Coding Girls, the programme run by Fondazione Mondo Digitale in collaboration with Microsoft, which creates alliances between schools, universities and companies to bring young women closer to STEM subjects.
Invited to a training day at Microsoft House in Milan, the two students met Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President of Security, Compliance, Identity and Privacy at Microsoft, an internationally renowned professional who shared her journey and the challenges she faced to reach the top.
‘Hearing her story and the obstacles she had to overcome was a big turning point for us and gave us a lot of confidence,’ explain Claudia and Federica. They also discussed crucial issues for the future, such as the relationship between generative artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Today, Claudia and Federica are doing an internship at Microsoft, excited about an environment rich in stimulation and collaboration. ‘We know that this is not a point of arrival but a starting point. Looking back, just two years ago, we would never have imagined being here.’
