ACM Scholar Spotlights: Amina Hrustić

Welcome to ACM Scholar Spotlights, a series where we celebrate the experiences of women in computing who received the ACM-W Scholarship to attend womENcourage 2025. Through their stories, we explore the opportunities, connections, and moments that have shaped their journeys in technology and research.

In this edition, we feature Amina Hrustić, a Software Engineering student at the International University of Sarajevo whose passion for artificial intelligence began during high school and has continued to grow through teaching, research, and industry experience. From supporting fellow students as a teaching assistant to contributing to AI-driven solutions in industry, Amina reflects on how curiosity, community, and the ACM-W scholarship have shaped her journey and strengthened her commitment to building technology that is ethical, human-centered, and impactful.

Introduction

My name is Amina Hrustić, and I am a Software Engineering student at the International University of Sarajevo. During my studies, I worked as a student assistant for Software Construction and Introduction to Programming, helping students strengthen their foundations in coding and software development. My passion for technology began early; during high school, I wrote my graduation thesis on machine learning, which sparked my curiosity about artificial intelligence and its potential to shape how we interact with data and the world around us. I am currently working part-time at an AI-focused company that develops intelligent, data-driven systems using machine learning and predictive analytics to transform complex data into actionable insights. My interests lie in AI, data analytics, and human-centered technology, with a deep motivation to use technology for social good, education, and ethical innovation.

My WomENcourage Experience

When I first heard about the ACM-W Europe womENcourage conference in Brașov, Romania, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I just really liked the idea of working on a research poster, especially because the topic my team and I had chosen aligned perfectly with my interests in data analysis and education. I thought it would simply be a nice academic experience, but it turned out to be so much more than that.

Before this, I had attended several IT Girls conferences and bootcamps, where I first discovered how empowering it can be to be surrounded by inspiring women in tech, to hear their stories, see their confidence, and realize that there’s a community out there where you can truly belong. womENcourage reminded me of that feeling; however, the organization of the event was on a whole new level of professionalism, and you could feel that these people really love the community.

The conference had a packed and exciting schedule with workshops, talks, and the hackathon. I was especially excited about the hackathon because it would be my first-ever, and I was supposed to do it with close friends. But right before it began, the groups were shuffled, and we all ended up on teams with complete strangers. I remember feeling a little disappointed at first, but it quickly turned into one of the best surprises of the entire trip.

Our team clicked instantly. Working with Hamza Adilović, Franziska Paukner, Gabriela Vega, and Claudia-Melania Chituc felt natural, and we became close so quickly that by the end, it was hard to believe we had only met that very day. Together, we chose to focus on detecting synthetic and augmented imagery, a topic that fascinated me because of its connection to AI, social media, perception, and effects on mental health—areas I’ve been passionate about since high school. As I’ve grown academically, I’ve become more and more concerned with the issues created by these new technologies.

We wanted to explore how AI-generated and digitally altered images affect self-image, especially among young people, and how these subtle manipulations can distort our sense of reality. Our idea evolved into a three-stage project:

Researching the problem – understanding how and why such content influences users, particularly women and teens.
Collaborating with policymakers to establish clearer guidelines for labeling manipulated content, ensuring digital transparency.
Developing AI-powered software that could automatically detect synthetic or edited imagery and help raise awareness through positive, educational messages.

It was exciting to combine technical creativity with social responsibility, and incredibly rewarding when our team won second place. But even more meaningful than the recognition was the sense of unity we built through long brainstorming sessions, shared ideas, and laughter in between.

The second day brought a complete shift in energy with one of my favorite sessions, the “Filling the Gap: ML’s Environmental Footprint Through Memes” workshop, led by Sinem Görücü. It was one of those sessions you walk into expecting something lighthearted and then walk out having learned something profound. Using memes, we discussed the environmental cost of machine learning, from the power consumption of data centers to the carbon footprint of model training. It was creative, fun, and unexpectedly educational. I loved how it showed that serious topics can be approached through humor and visual storytelling, making complex ideas more relatable and easier to discuss.

On the final day, I had the chance to co-present a research poster with Hamza Adilović and Tea Dedić, titled “Promoting Gender Equality in Cybersecurity through Education and Mentorship.” Sharing our ideas and talking with people who genuinely cared about our topic was such a joy. There were so many brilliant minds, and every conversation led to a new perspective or a new connection. I loved how open everyone was—how even a quick chat between sessions could turn into a deep discussion about ideas, projects, and experiences.

Outside the official program, womENcourage also gave us something just as valuable: friendship. I know it’s cliché, but in this case, it is also the full truth. After the conference sessions ended, we spent time exploring Brașov, walking through its colorful streets, trying local food, and laughing about the moments we’d shared during the hackathon and workshops. It felt different from being just a tourist. I wasn’t just visiting a city—I was experiencing it with people who had already made those few days unforgettable. I loved hearing about their culture and personal stories about the city, like where they went out on weekends and where they played as kids.

Looking back, womENcourage was far more than a conference. It was an experience that taught me about collaboration, creativity, and community. I came home inspired by the people I met, the projects we worked on, and the conversations that reminded me why I love computer science in the first place. It showed me that behind every innovation are people who care, connect, and create together, and that’s exactly the kind of space I want to keep being part of.

Conclusion

If you are considering attending womENcourage, I can say with full confidence that it is nothing like the typical tech conferences where people throw around buzzwords and repeat the same AI clichés until it becomes background noise. This event is real. The discussions are genuine, the panels are thoughtful, and the speakers share raw, personal stories that open your eyes to what it truly means to be part of this field. Beyond that, womENcourage gives you the chance to participate actively, build, create, and connect. It is not just something you watch; it is something you experience.