Interview with Ekaterina Pak, Google Software Engineer and Anita Borg Fellow in 2011
We asked Katya Baek, Google engineer and Anita Borg 2011 program fellow, to share her story of professional search and development, and also tell why she decided to apply for scholarship several years ago, and what changes in her life followed.
1. Catherine, tell us a little about yourself: where did you come from, where did you study?
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My name is Catherine (although for the effectiveness of communication in an English-speaking environment, I have long called myself Kate). I was born and raised in the city of Astrakhan, which the residents of Russia strive to confuse with Arkhangelsk, and the rest usually do not know at all. Although Astrakhan is a half-million city, which by the standards of, for example, Germany, makes it quite large, it seemed to me as a provincial teenager compared to Moscow or St. Petersburg: only three institutions of higher education at that time (technical, pedagogical and musical institutes) . However, there was not enough courage in the capital after graduation, and I ended up in Rostov-on-Don, in a big city with many educational opportunities. Having excellent mathematical training (thanks to the Astrakhan Technical Lyceum) and a gold medal, I easily entered the Department of Mechanics of RSU, having passed one major exam, and studied there for five years, having received an excellent education.
2. How did your journey to Google start?
I think it started with a feeling of dissatisfaction with the available opportunities. After graduating from university, I worked as a programmer for several years (banking systems, financial mobile platforms), but despite a stable level of income, I was not left with restless curiosity: what else is in the world? Searches within Russia did not satisfy curiosity. Although they allowed me to grow substantially professionally and visit interesting places: before leaving Russia, I worked for several months in the studio of Artemy Lebedev. A happy coincidence that prompted me to announce the position of a research assistant at the University of Koblenz-Landau in Germany was a conversation with a former classmate who continued his education abroad. I had the most beautiful memories of the student body. I decided to try to go to graduate school. Looking back, I believe this was my first step on my way to Google.
3. How did Anita Borg's scholarship affect your career and professional future?
The main thing that happened thanks to the scholarship is the expansion of horizons. I received a professional confirmation of my skills and experience. This allowed me to evaluate my abilities in a new way. Before the scholarship, I thought that I was “good enough”; getting a scholarship helped me drop “enough”. That, in turn, allowed me to start seriously considering options for work that previously seemed unreal. In addition, I received an internship offer at Google’s Munich office. The opportunity to re-engage in programming in the context of the industry, rather than the academy, was for me a good chance for self-determination, what would I like to do after graduating from graduate school. An important contribution was made by the meeting with other finalists and scholars in the Google office in Zurich: I had never before in my life been among so many women, each of whom, like me, was engaged in computer science. More than eighty participants! It was unique, important and interesting to get to know them, exchange opinions, share experiences, learn what they are working on.
4. What are you working on at Google?
I am involved in developing internal software for code review (code review). Google’s internal standard requires that the code be approved by a colleague before it enters the database (codebase). Our project is a web application that provides this functionality. I deal with issues of information storage, processing logic and interaction with other internal subsystems. This is called the backend.
5. The most memorable event during your time at Google?
I’m listed as a bug, where more than a thousand Googlers expressed their opinions. :-)
6. What do you do in your free time, tell us about your hobbies.
I take tango, piano and vocal lessons. All three classes allow me to take a break from work and, since I am still new to these areas, they give me the opportunity to enjoy rapid progress. I also continue to learn German. This is my intellectual entertainment, reinforced by the urgent need, since not all and not always speak English in Germany. Finally, I hope next year to renew my student hobby - mountain hikes. Moreover, from Munich to the Alps, very close.
7. How do you think Russian education in the field of computer science has changed since your student days?
I find it hard to judge: what is happening, I know mostly from friends, i.e. from second hand. This information is often also too closely related to political aspects. I would like to hope that Russian education is a worthy successor to Soviet education. From my own experience, I was convinced that cadres solve a lot. Acquaintance with the Western Academy revealed that after the Faculty of Mechanics of the RSU I have excessive demands on how the lectures should be held and what the duties of the professor are.
8. What advice would you give to those who are thinking about participating in the Anita Borg competition in 2014?
Do not think too long, and apply! But seriously, participation in such competitions helps prepare for the future. If you are already compiling or updating a resume in English, describe your current project in detail, talk to your supervisor about the letter of recommendation, then in a year or two it will all come in handy. Any application, whether it is an application for a scholarship or internship, or a place in graduate school, requires such things. I offer such a very practical motivation for one simple reason: it is often mentioned that women tend to underestimate themselves, so if suddenly you now think that it makes no sense to participate in the Anita Borg contest or your chances are small, leave this question to others. Believe me, the result may be more than positive!
If Katya's story inspired you, we are waiting for your applications for participation in the Anita Borg scholarship program.
1. Catherine, tell us a little about yourself: where did you come from, where did you study?
')
My name is Catherine (although for the effectiveness of communication in an English-speaking environment, I have long called myself Kate). I was born and raised in the city of Astrakhan, which the residents of Russia strive to confuse with Arkhangelsk, and the rest usually do not know at all. Although Astrakhan is a half-million city, which by the standards of, for example, Germany, makes it quite large, it seemed to me as a provincial teenager compared to Moscow or St. Petersburg: only three institutions of higher education at that time (technical, pedagogical and musical institutes) . However, there was not enough courage in the capital after graduation, and I ended up in Rostov-on-Don, in a big city with many educational opportunities. Having excellent mathematical training (thanks to the Astrakhan Technical Lyceum) and a gold medal, I easily entered the Department of Mechanics of RSU, having passed one major exam, and studied there for five years, having received an excellent education.
2. How did your journey to Google start?
I think it started with a feeling of dissatisfaction with the available opportunities. After graduating from university, I worked as a programmer for several years (banking systems, financial mobile platforms), but despite a stable level of income, I was not left with restless curiosity: what else is in the world? Searches within Russia did not satisfy curiosity. Although they allowed me to grow substantially professionally and visit interesting places: before leaving Russia, I worked for several months in the studio of Artemy Lebedev. A happy coincidence that prompted me to announce the position of a research assistant at the University of Koblenz-Landau in Germany was a conversation with a former classmate who continued his education abroad. I had the most beautiful memories of the student body. I decided to try to go to graduate school. Looking back, I believe this was my first step on my way to Google.
3. How did Anita Borg's scholarship affect your career and professional future?
The main thing that happened thanks to the scholarship is the expansion of horizons. I received a professional confirmation of my skills and experience. This allowed me to evaluate my abilities in a new way. Before the scholarship, I thought that I was “good enough”; getting a scholarship helped me drop “enough”. That, in turn, allowed me to start seriously considering options for work that previously seemed unreal. In addition, I received an internship offer at Google’s Munich office. The opportunity to re-engage in programming in the context of the industry, rather than the academy, was for me a good chance for self-determination, what would I like to do after graduating from graduate school. An important contribution was made by the meeting with other finalists and scholars in the Google office in Zurich: I had never before in my life been among so many women, each of whom, like me, was engaged in computer science. More than eighty participants! It was unique, important and interesting to get to know them, exchange opinions, share experiences, learn what they are working on.
4. What are you working on at Google?
I am involved in developing internal software for code review (code review). Google’s internal standard requires that the code be approved by a colleague before it enters the database (codebase). Our project is a web application that provides this functionality. I deal with issues of information storage, processing logic and interaction with other internal subsystems. This is called the backend.
5. The most memorable event during your time at Google?
I’m listed as a bug, where more than a thousand Googlers expressed their opinions. :-)
6. What do you do in your free time, tell us about your hobbies.
I take tango, piano and vocal lessons. All three classes allow me to take a break from work and, since I am still new to these areas, they give me the opportunity to enjoy rapid progress. I also continue to learn German. This is my intellectual entertainment, reinforced by the urgent need, since not all and not always speak English in Germany. Finally, I hope next year to renew my student hobby - mountain hikes. Moreover, from Munich to the Alps, very close.
7. How do you think Russian education in the field of computer science has changed since your student days?
I find it hard to judge: what is happening, I know mostly from friends, i.e. from second hand. This information is often also too closely related to political aspects. I would like to hope that Russian education is a worthy successor to Soviet education. From my own experience, I was convinced that cadres solve a lot. Acquaintance with the Western Academy revealed that after the Faculty of Mechanics of the RSU I have excessive demands on how the lectures should be held and what the duties of the professor are.
8. What advice would you give to those who are thinking about participating in the Anita Borg competition in 2014?
Do not think too long, and apply! But seriously, participation in such competitions helps prepare for the future. If you are already compiling or updating a resume in English, describe your current project in detail, talk to your supervisor about the letter of recommendation, then in a year or two it will all come in handy. Any application, whether it is an application for a scholarship or internship, or a place in graduate school, requires such things. I offer such a very practical motivation for one simple reason: it is often mentioned that women tend to underestimate themselves, so if suddenly you now think that it makes no sense to participate in the Anita Borg contest or your chances are small, leave this question to others. Believe me, the result may be more than positive!
If Katya's story inspired you, we are waiting for your applications for participation in the Anita Borg scholarship program.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/205910/
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