Samantha Gil-Vargas, 20, is a second-year student at the University of Washington, and she sits inside the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering building, as she writes code, using Python, for her end-of-quarter project on carbon emissions, Sunday, March 6, 2016, in Seattle, Washington.
Upon graduation, Gil-Vargas aspires to integrate herself into the professional world of programmers and big data; however, she is at a disadvantage. Today, both sexism and racism are still common occurrences within the workforce, especially when it comes to the industries involving code and tech.
Moreover, Gil-Vargas is both a woman and Hispanic.
“I am a minority, so it is difficult to compete. You don’t see a lot of Hispanic women who code,” she said. “[Coding] is work, but it’s rewarding.”
Currently, Gil-Vargas takes steps towards her end-goal by seeking admission into the university’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department.
(Photo by Sidney Sullivan)