If you’ve read my recent guest post on Femgineer.com, you know that my life’s true passion is to empower the underdogs of the world through leveraging technology.
“But whether I do go for an MBA or not, one thing is for sure: I will stay in the tech industry because I believe in its capacity to ignite social change. In fact, what I love most about tech is that it is a great “democratizer.” Imagine, a poor student from the streets of India who does not have the means to hire private tutors can still learn through organizations like the Khan Academy. Students who are not privileged to attend prestigious schools can still have access to the same caliber of information through ventures like MIT Open Courseware and Harvard’scourses in iTunes U.
Growing up as the daughter of an immigrant in a small, Midwestern town, technology is what empowered me to be what I am today. It was the backbone of my education, the very reason I was able to have a job in a top ten software company. I want to use that unique quality of tech, coupled with solid business acumen, to empower the underdogs of the world, the children of underprivileged immigrants, all young women. I want them to be able to look up to strong women like what I aspire to be, and realize that yes, they can code, they can be scientists, they can be CEOs. I want them have the opportunity to be leaders, not just followers. I want to be part of the transformation of our society into an America where women creating tech startups and running big corporations is part of the norm, rather than the exception.”
Here are a few sites that embody the same spirit.
A new elite online university that seeks to rival the Ivy League, it will start offering undergrad courses starting in 2014. Making top-caliber education affordable to exceptional students around the world? I’m sold. Read more about it here, Pando Daily.
2. Udacity
Built by three roboticists, Udacity offers free courses on computer science. Classes include building a search engine and building a web browser. Read more about it here, NY Times.
3. Stanford Engineering Everywhere
Makes Silicon Valley’s elite accessible to everyone. Offers free courses on computer science, robotics, artificial intelligence, etc.
You know, sometimes, I wish I had gone the self-education route and skipped college.
Ditto. The trailblazers of the world and many presidents/world leaders didn’t even go to college… but we live in a society that dictates otherwise.