Amazon women in Innovation: a scholarship for girls in STEM

09 April 2020

On the eve of the new edition of Amazon Women in Innovation, we interviewed Rania, student at Politecnico di Milano and winner of the first edition. In this interview she tells us about her path from classical high school to Mathematical Engineering..

"I study Mathematical Engineering, a very difficult subject, but at the same time fascinating because with its laws explains reality. In the past there was the idea that engineering and mathematics were not suitable faculties for girls, however in science there is room for everyone. I come from a classical high school and I lacked some notions of mathematics, but with time and the help of friends I was able to face these first difficulties. I was further behind than my classmates who came from scientific studies. I didn't give up: I studied every day until I caught up. I fell in love with numbers thanks to my math teacher, the first to encourage me, together with my family, when I decided to enroll in Engineering, while many were trying to dissuade me from a choice that was not 'girly'.

The decision to enrol at the Politecnico di Milano was already in my head, but winning a scholarship that Amazon has made available for deserving students to support university courses in the field of innovation and technology convinced me even more.

It was the month of March 2019 when I received an e-mail from the secretariat of the Politecnico di Milano in which they confirmed that they had won this scholarship. I immediately informed my parents that they were happy and proud of me at the same time. I will then have a sum of money for three years, which I can use to pay for the books, the canteen, the media subscription and an English language course. In addition, I have been assigned a company mentor and she has helped me with her advice during my university career and above all she is helping me to enter the world of work. This scholarship is a tremendous satisfaction, in a field where the female presence is often at its lowest. There are few of us, but we are as good as our male companions, or rather...perhaps even better. My goal is certainly to become a career woman who can find the right balance between work and family. In my family I often look to my mother, who is also my best friend. I esteem her very much. She is a strong and wise woman. She teaches me to appreciate small things, to face problems with serenity and courage and to be patient because, as she says, it takes time and dedication to achieve success".

"Today, Rania is one of the brightest students in her class and tomorrow she dreams of working in finance. She has what it takes. What impressed me about Rania is the determination with which she follows her goals and the fact that she is not afraid to work towards them. She reminded me of myself a few years ago: we share the same passion for complex problems and an underlying serenity in approaching them," says her mentor, Stefania, Manager Vendor Services at Amazon.

Taken from “Informatica e Matematica? Un gioco da ragazze” di Amazon