The first recipients of the We Stand Together Scholarship will bring new voices to software engineering and data science workforce

According to the Pew Research Center, Black people are underrepresented in the STEM workforce, making up 11% of the U.S. workforce overall but only representing 9% of STEM workers. To address this, Galvanize – one of the nation's leading providers of software engineering and data science training – and its parent company Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN) are investing up to $1.8 million to increase equity in the technology workforce through the We Stand Together Scholarship. Four recipients of the Spring 2021 award were announced today as the next round of applications opens.

“This scholarship is a key part of Galvanize’s commitment to ensure that tech, the fastest growing industry in the country, is representative of the U.S. population,” said Dr. Sam Kline, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Galvanize. “This spring’s recipients prove that no matter your background or circumstances, the drive to succeed is universal. We are proud to support their efforts to make a difference and help make tech more inclusive in the process.”

Recipients have the option to enroll in one of four immersive bootcamps for software engineering or data science, either as part-time or full-time students. The scholarship covers full tuition for the bootcamp of their choice, as well as the prep program that must be completed in advance. All four of today’s recipients will enroll in the Hack Reactor Software Engineering Immersive bootcamp in June 2021 and have begun their journey with the Premium Prep program.

Meet the recipients of the Spring scholarship cohort:

Makeda Davis is rebuilding her life after serving time in prison and has dedicated every minute of her free time to learning to code. She believes that success can be achieved by anyone who is hardworking, dedicated, and refuses to give up. Makeda strives to be a community leader and lead by example and looks forward to blazing a trail for more Black women to become software engineers.

Charnelle Evans is a kindergarten teacher who consistently incorporates technology into her classroom. Although she is just starting her tech journey, it has always been one of her passions. Charnelle wants to inspire her students and other women to realize that they can be anything that they desire, no matter their age or what they look like.

Prior to COVID-19, Jeremy Ketema held administrative and customer-facing positions for some of the biggest hospitality companies in the country. Becoming a software engineer has long been a dream of his, and Jeremy hopes to inspire others who may have been impacted by the pandemic to follow their dreams.

After earning a B.A. in Financial Economics, Ann Speed discovered the field of computational linguistics, which involves many principles of software engineering. Ann has decided to take a different route with her language expertise as she pursues ESL teaching. She aspires to design interactive websites for ESL learners, in addition to reading and literacy software for students in underserved and underrepresented communities.

The next opportunity to apply for the We Stand Together Scholarship opens today, April 19, 2021. To learn more and apply, please visit https://www.galvanizefoundation.org/westandtogether.

About Galvanize

Galvanize is a learning community for technology with eight physical campuses across the U.S. where innovative startups, aspiring students, and large enterprises benefit from a dynamic, unique technology ecosystem. Galvanize is an industry leader in technology education, offering the Data Science and Hack Reactor Software Engineering immersive bootcamps, that propel careers and help individuals thrive in the digital economy. In addition to its physical campuses, Galvanize offers full-time and part-time immersive bootcamps to individuals remotely, and tailored workforce training to enterprise clients to address each of their unique needs. With 8,000+ graduates, Galvanize alumni have gone on to bring their talents to over 2,250 companies. Galvanize is a subsidiary of Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN), a premier provider of innovative, high-quality online and blended education solutions, curriculum, and programs to students, schools and enterprises in primary, secondary and post-secondary settings. Learn more at www.galvanize.com.

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