Speed16-WIST: The Power of Mentorship to Female STEM Students

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2026 predictions, there will be a 19% increase in computer science jobs. Yet, women in the field have continued to decline since 2013 to an all-time low of 14%-18%. The pipeline for women in the area is marginally small, too, with 18% of women seeking computer science degrees in the United States. Montgomery County Community College also saw this trend with a decline in females enrolling in CIS courses. Montgomery County Community College Information Technology Department comprises 50% females from all different learning paths and has had a female IT leader since the 1980s. Our VP has been in the CIS field for over 50 years. The department women hold positions in both the hard and soft areas of IT, and many hold managerial roles. Since we saw the decline of females in CIS courses and are an anomaly to the statistic, we formed the Women in Science and Technology (WIST) group to help our female students. Our mission is to be a mentor and advocate for female retention and completion and a resource as they continue in their educational journey and career in STEM. Hear how we brought our vision and mission to reality, our successes and challenges, and our plans.