ACM Scholar Spotlights: Abha Desai
Welcome to ACM Scholar Spotlights, a series where we shine a light on the inspiring paths of women in computing who received the 2025 ACM-W scholarship. Through their own words, we hear how they found their place in tech, what motivates them, and how they’re making an impact. These stories reflect not only technical achievement, but also courage, curiosity, and community.
In this feature, we share the story of Abha Desai, a third-year Computer Science student at the University of Southampton whose journey began with building her first app in school. From discovering her passion for technology to attending her first womENcourage conference, Abha reflects on the mentors who guided her, the experiences that shaped her, and the resilience she gained through coding and community.
Introduction and my path
My name is Abha, and I’m a third-year Computer Science undergraduate at the University of Southampton. My passion for technology started back in school when I created my first app. I was amazed by how I could turn an idea into a working product with just a laptop and an internet connection. That moment sparked my curiosity and continues to inspire me to explore how technology can bring ideas to life.
I’ve been lucky to have mentors who encouraged me along the way, including my parents and some incredible professors. One of them, Dr. Adriana Wilde, inspired me to apply to my first womENcourage conference.
My experience of womENcourage 2025
Attending womENcourage was a fantastic experience. I loved hearing from inspiring women and learning more about topics like explainable AI during the workshops. Beyond the sessions, the conference was a great place to connect with people from all over Europe; connections I hope to maintain long into the future. For anyone attending womENcourage, my advice is simple: dive in and participate in everything you can. I especially enjoyed the hackathon – it was amazing to see the creativity and innovation in the ideas other groups came up with. It was a truly inspiring experience, and I can’t wait to attend again.
What I learnt from failure in coding
Of course, life as a student isn’t alwasy easy. I truly believe that the friends you make and the support system you build around you are some of the most valuable things you can have. Studying Computer Science has taught me that coding isn’t always straightforward, sometimes you can be stuck on a bug for days, or a single misplaced ‘for loop’ can make your program behave in completely unexpected ways.
But that’s exactly what I love about coding: it has taught me resilience. Even when I have no idea how to fix a huge problem, I’ve learned that if I break it down step by step, I’ll eventually find a solution. Over time, I’ve started applying that same mindset to my life outside of coding. Challenges don’t feel quite as overwhelming when I remind myself that they, too, can be tackled one step at a time. This perspective has helped me grow not just as a student, but as a person.