WONNOW Awards, a reward for effort and perseverance

[dropcap letter="E"]ffort, perseverance, passion, enthusiasm, optimism, and gratitude are just some of the words that describe the 11 winners of the first edition of the AwardsWONNOWCarlota, Marta, Carmen, Ana, Amaia, Helena, Marina, Patricia, Sara, Naomi and Paula. All of them have studied a technical degree, which as defined byMarina Alonso(Polytechnic University of Madrid) "are long-distance races that entail great effort." As also recognized byHelena Yelmo(Escola Universitària Salesiana de Sarrià) "pursuing a technical career is not an easy path, as it requires many hours and effort to obtain the deserved results." One of the main difficulties encounteredCarlota Armillas(University of Cádiz) throughout her career has been "learning to organize time to be able to carry all subjects forward in the best possible way." For his part,Patricia Andolz(Open University of Catalonia) highlights that in her case, having studied the Computer Engineering degree, "she started from scratch, whereas in other degrees, such as those in humanities or the health field, you already start from a base that throughout your life as a student you have been acquiring in compulsory subjects." ForAmaia de Pablo(University of the Basque Country), the most difficult thing was deciding what to study. She knew she wanted to pursue a technical degree, but it was hard for her to decide which one, "since I didn't really know what you could do after studying each one of them; I would have liked to have more information."

OPPORTUNITY TO GROW PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLYTo reward talent and promote diversity and the presence of girls like them in the field of technology and science, CaixaBank and Microsoft have promoted the WONNOW Awards, an award to recognize female excellence in technical university careers. As highlighted bySara Ruiz(University of Cantabria), "that two entities like CaixaBank and Microsoft value, recognize, and reward the effort of the last four years is something that all of us can be proud of." For her part,Marta García(University of Cádiz) points out that this award "represents that all the effort made these years has been recognized and has been worth it." Thanks to these awards, Carlota, a student of the double degree in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design and Product Development, has been awarded 10,000 euros. As she explains, this award "is a great help to study the master's degree I like, in Engineering for Sustainable Development in Cambridge. In addition, it makes me feel very happy, as I feel that all the hard work I have done during my five years of university is being rewarded." On the other hand, Marta, Carmen, Ana, Amaia, Helena, Marina, Patricia, Sara, Naomi and Paula have access to a paid scholarship to work at CaixaBank. They are offered a 6-month internship contract with the possibility of joining the entity at the end of this period. In addition, they will also benefit from a program ofmentoringgiven by Microsoft, which offers advice on aspects related to the development of your professional career in the technology industry. ForPaula Calderón(Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir), "having won this scholarship represents an opportunity to learn and grow both personally and professionally".Naomi Noor(University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) wants to make the most of the opportunity offered by the WONNOW Awards to "learn a lot from CaixaBank and Microsoft" and is convinced that "in the working world, in the technical field, just as many men are needed, many women are also needed and together we can go much further than individually." For her part, Helena points out the opportunity it offers her to "be able to develop professionally in cutting-edge technology projects." They have been the award winners among the 260 students from 59 Spanish universities who participated in this first edition of the WONNOW Awards.

BREAKING STEREOTYPES According to a UNESCO report, only 35% of students enrolled in STEM-related degrees are women, who represent 28% of researchers worldwide. In Spain, according to data from the Society of Women Engineers, more than 20% of engineering graduates are women but only 11% are active. The percentage of female university students enrolled in computer engineering drops to 12% and the number of active men in this sector is three times higher than that of women. This situation contrasts with the high demand for new professional profiles with adequate STEM skills. The European Commission has warned that 90% of all jobs already require digital skills and that it is likely that within two years there will be 500,000 jobs in Europe that cannot be filled due to the lack of adequate training of candidates. Gender parity in the digital industry would allow the GDP of the European Union to increase by about 9 billion euros annually, but this will not be possible if the interest of girls and young women in STEM studies, which provide them with the necessary skills to compete in the digital era, is not encouraged.

"Still today, the presence of women in certain fields remains very low. But that's what we are here for, to change it. To show that if CaixaBank and Microsoft support us, women can have total freedom to choose our studies, without being influenced and reach the top," says Sara. Despite the difficulties they have encountered during their university years and the time they have dedicated to it, none of them regret their decision and encourage other girls to follow in their footsteps. As points outAna Sancho(University of Cádiz), "the word Engineering sometimes scares people, but if you really want to dedicate yourself to it and you like technology, why not? It's all about putting in the effort." To encourage the presence of girls in these types of careers,Carmen Torres(University of Jaén) proposes "that they talk to us from a young age about women scientists and give us talks in high schools to talk about their work." For her, this is a good initiative to start getting to know this world. For her part, Carlota comments that "it is very important to visualize the image of women dedicated to engineering careers so that girls learn that this option can also be possible and interesting for them." "We have the stereotype that people who work in this field are always men, when in truth it is not like that," adds Carmen. Helena also agrees on this aspect, pointing out that more and more young women are deciding to study Engineering degrees and leave behind the stereotype of "careers for men." All the winners of the first edition of the WONNOW Awards encourage girls to pursue their professional dreams as they have done.

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