October 24th, 2019 | Todd Beamer High School and Sequoyah Middle School at Zillow | by Nicole Collopy
On Oct. 24, 30 scholars from Todd Beamer High School and Sequoyah Middle School were welcomed into Zillow headquarters to engage with current employees and each other to explore what it's like working in STEM. We were all wowed by the offices and views Zillow has; it was some of the girls' first time in Seattle!
Upon arrival, the students were divided into groups and paired with amazing mentors to brainstorm and create an app that would solve a problem they saw in the world. The teams then presented their ideas and mock-ups to the rest of the group, and no two groups had the same ideas - a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of their minds! Some of the girls were very nervous about presenting in front of all of us, but they came away with more confidence in their abilities.
During lunch, the panel spoke about how their paths had led them to their current roles at Zillow, including Data Analyst, Project Manager, and Engineer. It was great to watch the students learn about how many ways there were to get to one company. They were inspired to continue learning and exploring their passions!
I could tell just by the conversations that happened on the bus ride home that the students were excited about the options their futures hold! The panelists made sure to talk about how many women work at Zillow, which made the students feel like they had a place there if they want it.
I want to give a special shout out to our organizer Makena for facilitating a fantastic experience for our students! And thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to make this an such an inspiring day!
Here's what the students enjoyed most:
"This changed my opinion on computer science for the better. I want to join Zillow."
- 7th grade
"Talking in a small group about the company and college. It inspired me to look more into a STEM career."
- 12th grade
"How the workers talked about how not to give up. I loved it :)"
- 7th grade
"I enjoyed the app we created about help in time management. What inspired me is that the place is great and the connection that the employees have."
- 10th grade
"I liked the work environment and that a lot of the workers are women."
- 10th grade
"I liked the person we got to talk with (August), the food, the view, and the opportunities."
- 9th grade
"I liked learning about stuff that can help us. Please continue showing us your everyday lives."
- 7th grade
"Talking about their jobs and the programming. More events like this!"
- 9th grade
"I liked learning how people got to work there."
- 7th grade
"I enjoyed talking about careers I am interested in."
- 12th grade
"I was inspired because the women who work there were so young!"
- 11th grade
"I enjoyed brainstorming an app."
- 10th grade
"I enjoyed the group work and collaboration."
- 7th grade
"Making an 'app' to fix a problem."
- 10th grade