Conference Teaches Silicon Valley Girls To Get 'Geeky'
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – It's still a tough job market for thousands of Americans looking for work. The prospects can be especially daunting for young women just out of college.
That's why middle school girls from across Silicon Valley came on field trips to the 2011 Women and Girls Leadership Summit in San Jose on Friday for a chance to meet successful women in the fields of politics, technology and education.
13-year-old Lesley Godoy had her mind set on a different career path.
"I want to be an architect because I like math," she said.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
She likes math, something Silicon Valley entrepreneur Kim Polese can relate to.
"I was a girl geek so I was not one of the popular kids," Polese said.
The former Sun Microsystems executive said young women should get more "geeky" when it comes to their studies if they want to get good jobs.
"Math, science, engineering. Those are subjects that are tremendous for girls to pursue because the careers in technology are limitless," said Polese.
Unfortunately, she said the number of women with computer science degrees has declined from 37 percent in the mid-80's to less than 15 percent at major research universities.
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