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More than merely mortal
Ada Lovelace was a mathematician and writer, known for her work on Charles Babbage’s proposed mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine.
She was the first person to recognise that his machine could be used beyond mathematical calculations and published the first algorithm intended to be carried out by such a machine.
As a result, Ada is regarded as one of the first computer programmers and the “Mother of Programming”. She had tremendous visionary skills and is seen as a role model for boundary breaking women everywhere.
The 10 October marks Ada Lovelace Day – an annual event celebrated on the second Tuesday of October. The day aims to raise the profile of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), and to create new role models for girls and women everywhere.
Last year, I wrote about how Ada Lovelace encouraged my own love of technology so I thought it was only right to share some more ground-breaking female pioneers:
Brittany Wenger
She developed an app called Cloud4Cancer which helped to detect Cancer in young women earlier and help to save lives.
Mayim Bialik
Known for her role in “The Big Bang Theory”, but also has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA and has taught for several years giving free lectures to the most vulnerable students.
Susan Wojcicki
Current CEO of YouTube and was the one responsible for driving the purchase of YouTube by Google in 2006.
Danielle Geathers
The first female black woman student body president at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Arpa Garay
The first every female to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win two Nobel Prizes for her work in healthcare and science.
These are just some of the many female role models out there who have overcome stigma to become successful in their own fields. We want to ensure that all of our students are equipped to become the change leaders they aspire to be. We also want our students to be remember for the right things and inspire future generations. Much like how Ada Lovelace is still an inspiration to many and has continued inspiring young people to challenge themselves and the way they think.
