Congratulations Zarah Malik!

Please join us in congratulating Zarah, one of this year’s STEM Scholarship recipients from The WICT Network: Greater Philadelphia! Zarah was awarded her $4,000 scholarship during our sold-out Tech It Out event on May 21, an annual celebration of innovation and advancement in our industry. She currently attends Drexel University, where she is pursuing a degree in Data Science from the College of Computing & Informatics.

This scholarship is part of our continued commitment to championing gender diversity in telecommunications and supporting the next generation of women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

For this blog post, Zarah shared her reflections on what this scholarship means to her—and which WICT events she’s most excited to attend in the future.

How does being a recipient of this scholarship impact you?

Having the honor of being a WICT STEM Scholarship recipient has further ignited my passion for the STEM field. As a data scientist, I plan to create my own company, dedicated to making technology more accessible through data-driven solutions. Earning this scholarship has given me the financial support I needed to focus on my academic journey and pursuing these career goals in Data Science.

"Keep moving forward"

One of my favorite quotes: "Keep moving forward" by Walt Disney, truly guided my actions when I chose to reapply to the scholarship after not receiving it last year. This experience was an opportunity for growth and showed me the importance of persistence. As I kept moving forward, I had the opportunity to strengthen my story through my key experience of working at Comcast for a 6-month co-op on the Data Experience team. During this role, I performed data analysis, provided accessibility feedback on internal tools, and networked with supportive colleagues. This experience allowed me to demonstrate my passion for STEM through both my work and my words.

This scholarship hasn't just provided financial assistance; it's reinforced that persistence and passion can open doors to achieving my goal of making technology more accessible for everyone. By enabling me to focus on my academic journey and pursue valuable corporate experience through co-ops, this scholarship has paved the way for me to transform that dream into reality.

 

Are there any WICT events that you are looking forward to attending in the future?

I'm looking forward to attending the Career Fireside Chats and the end-of-year celebration, especially since last year's end-of-year event marked my introduction to WICT. These events represent valuable opportunities to expand my professional network and gain insights from diverse career paths. I'm especially excited to engage with inspiring members who can share their experiences and offer guidance that could shape my own professional journey. As I have already made meaningful connections through WICT, I'm excited to be part of this supportive community, while gaining ongoing mentorship through these experiences.