Fairleigh Dickinson University Student Blazes Trail for Gender Diversity in Computer Science; Earns Women's Scholarship from Montclair Web Development Agency

MONTCLAIR, N.J., July 8, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Lform Design (http://www.lform.com) — a web design and development company headquartered in Montclair, NJ—is thrilled to announce the recipient of its second annual $2,500 STEM scholarship for women studying computer science and computer engineering. Faiza Jabeen, 19, of Booton, NJ, was awarded the women's scholarship and paid summer internship for her academic excellence and passion for computer science.

"(I am) a female from a culture where females are preferred to stay home instead of working, and if they do, their parents make sure it is a safe place for her to work there," Jabeen said.

Jabeen was born in Karachi, Pakistan and moved to the United States in 2013. According to Jabeen, Pakistani families who allow women to work know what females are capable of doing and what is best for them. They prefer the women to study biology and believe that being a nurse and doctor is safer, as they will always be surrounded by good people.

"My family was supportive. (WE) females are really precious for our families and they want to see us happy and successful," Jabeen said. "I really wanted to study computer science because it has many different (career paths)."

Jabeen decided to follow in her older brother's footsteps, and pursue a degree in computer science. Jabeen recalls, as a high school student, looking at his tests and homework and thinking, "I get this. I can do this." Throughout high school and as a freshman at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ, she has excelled in this field of study.

During her high school classes, she began to recognize how male dominated the field was. In her first computer science course, there were five women. In the second, there were three, and in the third, there were two—until one woman dropped out and only she remained. Jabeen said she sat quietly in the corner, but held one of the highest grade averages in the class.

"People nowadays think that the computer field is only for men, but this is not something I believe," Jabeen said. "No field out there is for men only. I believe women can do anything if we work hard enough, and I am willing to do whatever I can to reach (my goals)."

According to the nonprofit, Girls Who Code, only 24 percent of computer scientists are female, and that number is in jeopardy of shrinking. To help close the gender gap in technology, Lform Design launched this annual scholarship and internship program for young women pursuing a career in computer science or computer engineering.
"As a New Jersey web development company, we see first-hand how our industry is a male-dominated field: We only have two women in our office and neither of them are part of our development team," said Lform Design Owner and Creative Director, Ian Loew. "Because we want both men and women to thrive in this line of work equally, we created the scholarship to encourage more women coders and computer scientists to join the computing workforce. Faiza is an exemplary student of computer science and the true future of this industry. We are honored to award her this scholarship."

Lform Design will begin accepting applicants for its 2020 women's specific STEM scholarship starting Jan. 1, 2020. Eligibility includes a commitment to pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in computer science or computer engineering; the student must also be enrolling in or currently enrolled in an accredited four-year college or university or two-year college on track to transfer to a four-year school. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2020. The scholarship recipient will be announced May 15, 2020.

For more details about the scholarship, eligibility, and how to apply, please visit: https://www.lform.com/scholarship.

SOURCE LForm Design