This is a guest blog post written by Avanade alum, Vikki Leach.

Avanade’s 15 for 15 Scholarship Program is a key pillar of our Corporate Citizenship approach; supporting our mission to close the gender, technology and income gaps for women and empower, provide access and upskill women in the communities where we operate. Through this program we have had the privilege of awarding young women, who may otherwise not be able to continue their education, scholarships to go to University to study STEM.

The underrepresentation of women in STEM is a global concern that Avanade shares and whilst there is no single or simple answer to tackle this, we are proud of the young women across the globe that we can support to develop the STEM knowledge that helps them launch their careers in technology.

We are now firmly two years into the program, with 30 scholars across the globe who are achieving fantastic things and serving as great role models for young women keen to pursue a STEM career. We are pleased to yet again have many of our scholars joining us for our annual Tech Summit event in Seattle, an amazing opportunity for them to explore and see first-hand some of the technology and technologists that are changing the world.

"Being a 15 for 15 scholar has meant a lot to me; I had a hard time adjusting to the college life and to have Avanade's constant support made it much easier throughout the year. My mentor made herself available to me from the start and she was always someone I could email and set up a call with for guidance or advice. I wouldn't have had that without the 15 for 15 scholarship program.”

“I’m so excited to attend Tech Summit, meeting the people that are part of the latest technological innovations and to witness what these innovations are. It makes me very grateful to be a part of the Avanade family.”

--Emily Costagliola, 15 for 15 Scholar at New Jersey Institute of Technology

The experiences our Scholars are having and the feedback they share reinforces why we do this. It firmly embeds Corporate Citizenship as part of our fabric at Avanade. In addition to the 15 for 15 scholarships and many other programs, our recent support of the UN Global Compact is a testament to the commitment we have around Corporate Citizenship.

So, expect to hear a lot more from our scholars over the coming weeks as they attend Tech Summit and share their experiences and what they have learned from the event. Personally, I’m looking forward to spending time with them face-to-face as they are such an inspirational group and I firmly believe we have the next generation of female technology leaders here!