Grace Hopper Celebration Scholarship is a scholarship by Grace Hopper Celebration India for applicants of undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. programs from Computing, Engineering, and IT backgrounds wherein they gain inspiration and get guidance for a career in technology.
More about Grace Hopper Celebration Scholarship can be read here.
Kashish Madan, from Manipal University, Jaipur, is one such senior who was selected for this scholarship.
INTERVIEW
Hi Kashish. Congratulations on securing the Grace Hopper Celebration Scholarship 2020.
Could you describe the application process briefly to us?
Hi, thank you.
So the application process for GHCI only consists of your Application Form.
The application consists of general questions like your personal details, the program of study, CGPA, previous GHCI attendance and scholarship status, and essays. There is also an optional section to provide a recommendation letter, so try to ask your college professor or someone whom you trust to give a good word for you.
Okay. What would you say are the key parts of this application and could you share any tips for these?
The key parts of the application are your Statement of Purpose, Technical Skills, Participation in Program Related Co-Curricular Activities, and your Recommendation letter(s).
Since the criteria of judgement depend on these sections of the application, I’ll share what I wrote and what I find is important to mention.
1. The statement of purpose should be genuine. It should convey your interest in STEM, how you have evolved as a student in STEM and how you plan to use the conference to grow as an individual. The idea is to fit all of this in not more than 100 words.
2. Next is the section for your technical skills which should not exceed the limit of 50 words.
This section will depict your role-related knowledge, your experience, and practical learning. Since your answer should be tailored as per your skills, it is important to make sure that you write the answer in bullet points to make it easy for the reader to understand and comprehend your skillset. Remember to try and put these skills in decreasing order of the level of understanding.
In my case, I tried to add relevant project names and their GitHub links to support my answers based on my skill set.
For eg- “1. Skill Set – Project Name (URL)” and so on.
3. Co-Curricular Activities, which should have a maximum of 50 words.
In this section, try to include your Work Experiences such as Internships, Research, and Research papers. You can also add details about your Position of Responsibilities to show your leadership qualities and any achievements – from a hackathon to any coding competition.
4. Recommendation from Faculty Members
This one is optional but actually very important. Try to submit at least one recommendation letter by any faculty member from your University or someone you trust to help make you stand out from the rest of the applicants.
Lastly, you are also required to submit your CV/Resume. So make sure it is grammatically correct and updated.
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Wow, that is such relevant information that an applicant definitely needs to know! Before we move on, let’s talk a little bit about you.
Well, from “Kashish is not suitable for Science because of low grades” to pursuing engineering, It’s like a dream come true. I was rejected by my teachers to pursue the Science stream and had to change schools to pursue it. At that time, I was a girl with sky-high dreams but very little support from society. My interest in technology has always motivated me to become better.
I’ve never underestimated myself and started to believe that everything is possible if you’re doing it right. Every day I feel that I am more attracted to solving real-life problems and think of how I can build cool things!
That is very motivating. What do you see as your major accomplishments so far?
I am an intern at American Express working in the Big Data Technology Unit. I will soon be joining Microsoft as she graduates this year from Manipal University Jaipur with a BTech degree in Computer Science.
I have experience working as a software developer with various organizations such as Grant
Thornton, Universite Grenoble Alpes, France and more. I was also a recipient of the AnitaB.org Grace Hopper Celebration India Scholarship and was also featured in their EverydayInspiration Series.
I have participated and mentored students in various hackathons and open-source events. Outside of work, I have been an active speaker at various webinars and events on topics such as Open Source, Women in Tech, Grabbing Internships, and Resume Building.
You are truly an inspiration and even a motivation for some, who are in STEM.
Moving back to the scholarship, if given a choice, what do you think played a key role in you getting selected for this scholarship?
I think the entire application as a whole is the reason for one’s selection to this prestigious scholarship and the recommendation letter plays an important role in truly getting to know.
Also, the application should speak about you and your willingness to grab the scholarship. My Statement of Purpose had a story, created an impact, and showed my interest in the scholarship program. So, I think it had a key role in my selection along with my technical skills.
That is true. Finally, do you have any advice you would like to give future applicants?
For the application and the scholarship, my advice would be to make sure that you have a story that tells your journey in tech and it is something that can show your skills, interest in Science and Technology, and your passion for learning. Always be true and confident!
Keep building cool things and following your dreams!
Thank you so much Kashish for doing this interview. Is there any way one can reach out to you in case of any further questions?
Sure, they can reach out to me on Linkedin or at kashish.madan@outlook.com
Scholarship Track 