Stephanie Milani
University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyStephanie Milani, a Computer Science and Psychology major at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is a student leader dedicated to improving diversity and access to education in computer science. For the past year and a half, she has been a leader of the Computer Science Education Club, an outreach-oriented organization dedicated to broadening participation in the field. Through this club, Stephanie has worked with other club leaders to organize and execute a variety of computer science events at UMBC and in the surrounding community. Stephanie is a thoughtful, passionate, and supportive leader capable of inspiring others to act on a wide range of issues. Her passion to improve computer science education for marginalized populations is evident through her involvement as the Curriculum Development Coordinator for Creative Coders, a mentoring program that she co-founded to introduce computer science to middle school students, as well as her previous work in curriculum development for Computer Science Matters in Maryland. Stephanie looks forward to continuing to enact social change as she pursues a career in machine learning research.
Personal Statement
What motivates me to serve is empowering underrepresented students to be a part of the exciting field of computer science (CS). On campus, I lead the Computer Science Education Club, which broadens access to computer science by planning and executing events on campus and at local middle and high schools. This club is unique compared to other CS-focused clubs on campus because it has more female leaders and members than male, and a significant LGBTQ membership. I also founded and developed the curriculum for a program called Creative Coders to introduce middle school students to computer science through game development with UMBC mentors. Previously, I worked in curriculum development for Computer Science Matters in Maryland, where I was able to advocate for issues of diversity and accessibility in CS education on a national level.