Twelve engineering students made their way to Chicago, Illinois, for the annual Grace Hopper Celebration, a conference that brings together women and nonbinary technology professionals from around the world.
Funded by the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department, the November 2025 conference was a place for students and professionals to meet, mingle and network.
“I had never attended the Grace Hopper Celebration, and I heard it’s a large-scale conference,” said computer science master’s student Sofija Dimitrijevic. “A lot of people attend, and industry professionals give great presentations.”
The conference offers professional development opportunities while providing a sense of community.
“I’ve noticed how much women and nonbinary people might not really know about their options in the industry and might not take as many risks compared to men,” Dimitrijevic said. “What this conference taught me is to take risks, and I think people at different levels in their careers needed to hear that. It was empowering and eye-opening.”
The atmosphere at the Grace Hopper Celebration is known to inspire students and industry members alike and to bring a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm.
“The conference made me feel really proud of how Cal Poly students and alumni are doing and the job placements we are getting,” Dimitrijevic said. “It feels like a trailblazing movement going on with the AI landscape, and Cal Poly is doing really well.”
The 2026 Grace Hopper Celebration will take place in Anaheim from Oct. 27-30.
How You Can Help
Supporting the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department means allowing more students to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration. Give here.
