Aura has announced that it will provide a four-year scholarship to a freshman at Howard University. Megdelawit Anbese, a student in the historically Black university's College of Engineering and Architecture, will receive $260,000 over four years, covering college expenses including tuition, textbooks, food, housing, and living expenses.
"Creating a safer internet for everyone requires a workforce that reflects the diversity of the world around us," said Aura founder and CEO, Hari Ravichandran. "We are proud to support a pipeline of talent underrepresented in our industry by offering Ms. Anbese our inaugural Aura STEM Scholarship. A U.S. immigrant and the first in her family to attend college, she overcame unique challenges in the pursuit of her dream: to obtain a degree in computer science and contribute to reversing the gender gap in technology."
Data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows that 8.3 percent of computer and mathematical jobs were held by Black or African American people.
"We expect the outcome of Aura's investment in Ms. Anbese to be a future leader who will make significant contributions to society as a computer scientist who embodies the motto 'Excellence in Truth and Service'," said John M. M. Anderson, dean of the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture.
Oher estimates suggest only 2.5 percent of science and engineering employees in the U.S. were Black women. By funding the Aura STEM Scholarship at Howard University, the company seeks to foster a future workforce and industry that is as diverse as the population it aims to protect online.
"Growing up, it was hard to envision myself in a STEM field, considering the shortage of women, and an even smaller percentage of women of color in the field," said Anbese. "Scholarships like this one from Aura help to open the door for many more women. I hope that one day, not only will I be a role model for individuals in my community but that I will also demonstrate that, despite the barriers that women face, a career in STEM is attainable."
