International Women’s Day was March 8, and as part of celebrating women in Moose Jaw we spoke to Harsh Saini, an international student from India in her second year of a Computer Engineering Technology Diploma at Sask Polytech.
“When I was in my senior year of high school, I asked my sister about what would be a good major to go in,” Saini explained. Her sister graduated from Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Business (Accounting) Diploma program in 2018.
“Since I was a child, I was fascinated with computers. I love computers,” Saini said. “And my sister advised me that they have a program in which they provide work terms, so even though I’m studying, I’ll still be able to get work experience … which will help me to understand what I’m studying and give me hands-on practice.”
So far, Saini said, she’s loving the Computer Engineering Technology Diploma because it teaches a broad overview of all aspects of the field.
“You learn about everything, from networking to security to normal, day-to-day service repair stuff, and it just opens up a lot of doors for career opportunities.
“In this program, I learn enough about both hardware and software that I can think of something, and I can see how I would create that exact similar thing from scratch. And it’s putting your imagination out into real life.”
Saini said that last semester, she came up with an idea for a remote-control car steered with hand gestures. She completed the project all on her own, from assembling the hardware to coding a software program — and it worked perfectly.
Harsh is breaking ground at Sask Polytech because she is the only woman in her program. She believes that’s because stereotypes around computer engineering discourage girls from imagining themselves in those workplaces.
“I think whenever we talk about (information technology, or IT) stuff, the first person that pops into anybody’s mind is always a male figure,” she explained. “People always think that IT and computers and going out and fixing that stuff is more of like a male job.
“They have a stereotype of it, which I do not like.”
She is also one of only two women in her workplace. Saini is doing a co-op work term as a technical analyst with Regina Catholic School Division.
She said that even though many people don’t see her career as a “suitable profession” for a woman, she is essentially doing her dream job already — before she’s even graduated.
“I drive from school to school, fixing everybody’s computers, making sure they are satisfied with the technology they have and they know how to operate it, figuring out a way and finding new solutions every time a problem pops up.
“It’s not like an office work or a 100 per cent field job, it’s a mixture of both, so that’s something that’s, like, staying with me, and I love working in that kind of environment.”
Saini added that everyone in her program, in her workplace, and at businesses she has spoken with has been encouraging, open, and willing to answer questions.
“I would definitely recommend this program.”
