–robotics enthusiast calls on more girls to join the field

A young robotics enthusiast, Arrianna Mahase, has built a career for herself in the field of technology and wants to spread awareness of the sector, share opportunities, and mentor other youths, especially girls, in her bid to persuade them to join the “tech” field.

As women and girls around the world mark International Girls in ICT Day today (April 28), an occasion which draws attention to the critical need for more girls and women in the ICT sector, Mahase is of the firm belief that women belong in any field that they set their hearts and minds to, irrespective of whether it’s viewed as “male dominated.”

The 23-year-old of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, had always heard that only boys do well in technology, and so, she decided to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science at the University of Guyana (UG) just to prove the notion wrong.

But it became more than just trying to prove a point for Mahase. Before enrolling at UG, she didn’t have a clear plan as to what career she wanted to pursue, and technology was definitely out of the picture as it was not something that she was exposed to as a child. In fact, it was only during her high school days that she got her first computer.

Through her studies at the university, though, she realised that her real love and passion was right there in the tech field.

“I started doing Computer Science at UG because it was challenging. Because I was so competitive, I wanted to do it because I heard that only boys did it. I just wanted to prove myself, but that’s where I found my real interest,” she said in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

Mahase has always had an impressive academic background and graduated as a distinction student with her bachelor’s from UG before being granted a scholarship through the government’s GOAL initiative to pursue her Master’s in Artificial Intelligence.

Hoping to specialise in robotics, Mahase, a junior programmer at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the team manager of Team Guyana Robotics at STEMGuyana, should complete her studies by 2023.
Mahase couldn’t be happier that she joined STEMGuyana. Being there confirmed to her that the field of technology was where she wanted to be.

“Robotics helped me to grasp that love and robotics is mainly what keeps my interest,” she related, adding that her plan is to continue mentoring the national robotics team.

“It’s one of those things that I love. I hope to stay a part of STEMGuyana and other organisations that help to spread awareness of technology in Guyana, share opportunities, mentoring and experiences to help others to get into the field because I think technology is one of the easiest fields to get into; everything that you need is on the internet and there are so many free courses and sites that you can get information from,” she said.

While some women and girls may find it difficult to get into tech, Mahase said: “You would be surprised to know how many women are on your side. Understand that you belong in the field.”
She said that the tech community in Guyana is quite small and it would not be difficult to point out someone in the field who is willing to help.

While Mahase believes that the tech field is male dominated, she doesn’t think that it is because the opportunities are not available to women.
“It’s mainly because the narrative has always been that women aren’t meant for tech. This is something that we need to break so that girls growing up know that they belong in the field,” she posited.

Mahase is especially grateful for the opportunities that she benefitted from.

“Personally, I believe that I am lucky because I am in an organisation that fosters women leadership and a comfortable space for girls to thrive in the field. We really need to stick together and make an impact that other girls will see and be encouraged and inspired to get into the field of tech,” the robotics enthusiast said.