University of Minnesota student helping lead national 'hackathon' for female coders

Governess Simpson is a national leader in the technology field — and she hasn't yet graduated from University of Minnesota.

Simpson, 22, besides studying industrial engineering and computer science, is one of the leaders of "Rewrite the Code Black Wings," a 1,300-strong association of Black technology students from 215 universities. The group is part of the larger "Rewriting the Code," a group of 14,000 women from 800 universities globally.

And Simpson, for the second year, also is a top planner for the upcoming "Black Wings Hacks" hackathon, which expects to attract more than 300 female college students. The virtual event will host teams that work on projects with mentors from sponsoring companies that showcase skills.

"The attendees receive real-world education as they gain competence and confidence in their tech skills," Simpson said. "This provides representation for other Black women. ... We encourage each team to work on something that's meaningful to them, from financial accessibility to environmental sustainability."

While the event's work is over a weekend, Simpson said leaders hope participants fine-tune coding for further application.

In high school, Simpson was a good student, including in math and science. But she planned to study vocal performance after graduating from Stillwater High School.

But then she took an advanced-placement physics class from now retired Stillwater teacher Dennis Symalla.

"It was a lot less about memorization and more about understanding and applying the knowledge," Simpson said. "I was challenged. I'd never had a course like that."

Symalla encouraged Simpson to become an engineer. He remembered her as a "go-getter" who was "open and honest."

"She told me that she was struggling," Symalla said. "I told her most students struggled in that class. She ended up helping others in the class. And this is such an exciting time for her. She is part of the hope of the country.''

Still, the early years of college were tough for Simpson. There are few Black women pursuing degrees in engineering and computer science. And Simpson, an engaging, candid woman, suffered from a lack of confidence and identity.

"The courses were a lot more rigorous than I expected and I struggled my first two years," Simpson said. "There were courses in which I was the only Black person in the room. I considered dropping out."

Simpson sought counseling through Mental Health Minnesota as a freshman. She eventually spoke to legislators and others on "Mental Health Day" at the State Capitol.

She also participated in "Rewriting the Code" seminars on "imposter syndrome."

"It's a feeling of being in a space in which you feel you don't belong or don't deserve to be," Simpson said. "It's a vulnerable experience. It was very inspiring to hear how other women overcame it. And we students came away feeling that we could get through it together. Whenever I feel insecure or worried, I think about other women feeling the same thing. It gives me a feeling of purpose."

Simpson has succeeded in school and internships, including with Microsoft. She also presented a paper at a virtual-reality conference in London.

And she has mentored younger students.

"She was open and empathetic and had done cool work," said Jagmehr Madan, an engineering student. "She helped me. I plan to work in the technology scene."

Simpson already has landed a job with Palantir Technologies, which will begin after she graduates.

"I want to use technology to help solve some of the world's health, equity and sustainability issues," Simpson said. "My plan is to work in industry and gain some valuable experience ... then a job with a company or nonprofit that directly addresses one of those issues."

Her parents, including her mother, a nurse, are proud. And Minnesota needs women like Simpson. There are thousands of technology-related jobs open in the state.

And people of color within technology fields are growing.

At the U's College of Science and Engineering, minority undergraduate enrollment in fall 2021 rose to 25% of 5,602 students, not including international students. A decade before, students of color were only 13.6% of the of total undergraduate enrollment of 5,046.

The increase is important as the state's companies will gain talented workers, new ideas and the innovation that is good for business, said Oriane Casale, assistant director of labor market information at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

Casale noted that growth in the Minnesota workforce and economy over the past 20 years has been because of the population and subsequent employment growth among people of color, including immigrants.

In 2020, the percentage of minorities in "professional, scientific and technical jobs" grew to 14% compared with 10% in 2010, according to DEED statistics. Overall, minority employment in Minnesota grew from 14 to 19% and is higher than overall growth, sometimes more than double, in some categories.