Oracle Donation Promotes Women in Engineering

Gift to Society of Women Engineers promotes workplace diversity

Oracle recently donated scholarship money to three young women, passionate about turning their high-school dreams of studying technology into college education realities. The scholarships were offered as part of the Society of Women Engineers Scholarship Banquet held at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club on May 11, 2006.

Sixty attendees gathered together to honor the three Oracle scholarship recipients: Katherine Fountaine, who will major in Chemical Engineering, Leah Worster, who will major in Computer Engineering, and Elizabeth Baker, who will be majoring in Biomedical Engineering.

According to Jane Robertson, Oracle's Diversity spokesperson, "Oracle is committed to helping increase the number of women in the engineering fields, and believes in giving back to the community by supporting the education of individuals who can eventually make a difference in the world." She adds with a smile, "Of course, after college, these three hard-working students may want to work for Oracle."

Each of these young students has made a commitment to pursue education in their field of engineering. One young woman overcame painful eye surgery during her sophomore high school year, and managed to keep a perfect GPA. She is committed to using her education to develop an artificial vision system. Another traveled across country to attend a summer engineering program at Purdue University while still just a high-school student.

Each recipient was required to write an essay discussing their interest in engineering and adding her perspective on the importance of women increasing their involvement in technology opportunities. These essays ranged from disarmingly honest to truly inspirational. For instance, scholarship recipient Leah Worster wrote, "Engineering is interesting to me because I like knowing how everything works, from mechanical stuff down to computer chips."

Elizabeth Baker, on the other hand, wrote an essay that included this inspiring message regarding her painful eye surgery. "I have overcome my disability and managed to maintain a perfect GPA since my sophomore year," she said. "I have been admitted to and would like to attend the University of California at Davis' Biomedical engineering program, because I believe that this program will allow me to achieve my long-term goal of working on and perfecting an artificial vision system, which will restore sight in patients who have lost their vision."

According to Robertson, the increasing representation of women in engineering has been a vital part of Oracle's continued success. "Oracle recognizes that investing in tomorrow's talent pool paves the way for a more innovative future," she says. Oracle charity and scholarships revolve heavily around education and helping individuals achieve their dreams through the use of technology.

"Oracle is committed to providing women in the workplace with the necessary resources to fulfill their potential," says Robertson. "Oracle Diversity connects internal and external organizations, where Oracle employees can participate in outreach activities, and gain developmental and networking opportunities at all levels of the organization. Our goal is to ensure that women are self directed and supported in their role. Oracle encourages women's participation by providing flexible workplace and employment practices."