A group of 33 students from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Mayagüez Campus (RUM) participated in a Google Tech Exchange 2024 educational experience in Mountain View, California in early January. 

"This opportunity aims to empower students studying at HBCUs or HSIs (mostly Latino, Native and African American institutions) to grow in the technology industry. Participants in this program took virtual classes dedicated to developing skills in the field of Computer Science taught by Googlers, that is, engineers and software developers employed by Google with many years of experience in the computer industry," said Dr. Nayda G. Santiago, professor in the Department of Computer Engineering, coordinator of the initiative and member of its academic committee. 

Student Nicole Noemí Román Correa, who will begin her fourth year this semester in Software Engineering (INSO) at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Mayagüez Campus (RUM), received the Generation Google Scholarship for Women in Gaming 2022. The scholarship grants her $10,000 to cover her study expenses and an invitation to a virtual conference to meet the other winners and Google leaders.

The schoolgirl, a resident of Hatillo, is the only young woman enrolled in a Puerto Rican university who is part of the scholarship cohort, which includes 258 students from the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Read the full story in the spanish version.