Anusha Sai Paila
Posted on September 1, 2020 by Keith Lynn
I want to start with the word THANK YOU. I’m so privileged and honored to be part of Women in Technology, and I hope to motivate and inspire by sharing my story.
In order to write this, I tried to figure out how I got here, and so I went back to the beginning of my journey. I’m from India, a country where females are told not to step out of the house after sunset. As Gandhi said after India gained its independence, “India will truly be free when a woman can walk alone in the night,” but my country has so far still to go until woman are protected and treated equally. Luckily for me, I was born to incredible parents who treated my brother and I the same as one another. I know to some of you the word EQUAL might seem to be normal, but it means something different to me. I started realizing how life was not the same for everyone at a very young age as I saw girls sitting at home while their brothers went to school. Parents chose to give the education to the boy child, because in their minds eventually the girl gets married and it would be a waste of money to educate her. When I asked my dad about this, he told me that not every girl is as lucky as me, and that if I worked hard, someday I could help other women who weren’t given the same opportunities. He also said giving back to the less fortunate was not a choice, but a way of life.
As I grew up, I always believed in myself. When I turned 21, I made a choice to pursue my masters in computing at the cost of leaving my entire family in India and traveling to America all by myself. I grew up in a society where people said, “it’s not safe for a woman to move to an
unknown country alone.” I desperately wanted to prove that it was safe and there was nothing wrong with a female making a choice to move out of the country to complete her Masters alone. I wanted to show they were wrong so that other women after me wouldn’t have to fight the same way.
Once I started my school at South, I started having a new family here. Everyone was welcoming and I found many chances to work on my English. Miss Patty Lynn, who I call “American mom,” gave me the opportunity to work as a part time student assistant (my first job at South), and Dr. Tom Johnston gave me the opportunity to be a Teaching Assistant. Initially, I faked my confidence and tried to fit in, to be strong, and to not let anyone see I was scared. I was not going to let anyone see that I was affected. However, over time I realized, that as a women and as an Indian girl, if I allow myself to be intimidated then I would always be afraid. I am not trying to say that it’s a woman-only thing, but it just isn’t easy to be young and female in an unknown country. I believe that confidence is something that helps you get ahead in life. If you believe in yourself, then the world will also. I started becoming okay with who I am even though I cannot speak the best English or dress up as an American. I still became the best version of me.
My masters at South gave me not only a degree, but also life lessons. Dr. Harold Pardue and Dr. Jeff Landry made us think out of the box and taught management skills that have been helpful in the real world. Dr. Bob Sweeny and Professor Leo Denton were always precise with their coding techniques, and I would wonder why. But it all made sense when I started working. Miss Rhonda Lucas and Miss Maureen VanDevender are two amazing women in the school of computing who always have their doors open if you need help with school or life. I also made great friends and mentors from South: Miss Lori Harris, Ms. Sharon Leibert, Ms. Michelle Barlow and Mr. Darren Martin.
Apart from the people here, South also provided amazing resources to me like the Daily Digest email system which opens up opportunities to choose from and to participate in, even outside of my department. My first award was from the Business Administration Competition (Causeway Pitch Competition). I believed in myself that I could be equally competitive even though it’s not my department, and all my co-competitors were Americans. But I knew that I was not beneath anyone, and I won.
The main thing I hope to pass on is the importance of self-confidence. I choose to speak my mind without fear and everyone can do that; we just don’t realize it. It sounds boring but trust me, nothing is impossible if you truly put your heart and soul into it. The entire universe will come together to give you that! When I planned on moving to the U.S. when I was young, I didn’t think I would win awards or be the best. My only goal was to finish my masters and to show that I made it, even being far from family in an unknown country. I may not know how tough it’s going to be but I made my choice and it’s up to me to make it work. That’s how
taught myself. I have fallen down, and I have dusted myself off. I don’t like to fail, and I’ll never let the same failure happen again because I learn from it.
I remember days when no one would ask me for anything or wanted my opinion, but by giving my best on all the small but significant parts of life, I made people see that I mattered. I think we need to recognize the opportunity we have, and once you make a choice, you need to work desperately hard and give it your best. There will always be hundreds of other people who want the same things as you. So make yourself special. People think that it’s so tough, but each and every one of us are blessed to be unique. Each of us have our own style and beauty, so be the best version of you. Make your choices, work towards your goals, and learn from your mistakes as I did.