Dear Scripps College Community Members,
I am pleased to announce the 2017 commencement speaker, Girls Who Code founder and CEO Reshma Saujani.
Saujani is an inspiration to our Class of 2017—her entrepreneurship in teaching young women programming skills, her work as a dedicated community activist, her engagement in public policy and politics, and her legal career have catapulted her onto the national stage as a leader in the movement to close the gender gap in technology fields.
An attorney and activist, based in New York, Saujani entered the political scene in 2010 as the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress. During the race, she was inspired to establish Girls Who Code after witnessing the gender gap in local schools’ computing classes. Saujani founded Girls Who Code in 2012, and the following year authored Women Who Don’t Wait in Line, in which she advocates for a new model of female leadership focused on embracing risk and failure and promoting mentorship and sponsorship. Saujani also served as Deputy Public Advocate for New York City. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Yale Law School.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Class of 2017 student representatives, who devoted significant time and energy to select an exceptional speaker who will challenge and inspire us all.
Be sure to visit the Scripps College Commencement 2017 website for more information and updates.
Sincerely,
Lara Tiedens
President