ACM Scholar Spotlights: Marta Napolillo
Welcome to ACM Scholar Spotlights, a series where we shine a light on the inspiring paths of women in computing who received the 2024 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, Marta Napolillo, a Master’s student in Data Science & Machine Learning at the University of Salerno, takes us through their journey. They discovered a passion with early encouragement, pushed past doubts, and presented a project at womENcourage. Along the way, they faced challenges, achieved growth, and found motivation in the supportive community.
Introduction
My name is Marta Napolillo and I am enrolled in the first year of the Master’s Program in Computer Science at the University of Salerno, Italy. The degree programme that I have chosen is Data Science & Machine Learning. I chose to pursue this career path because it has always been a passion of mine. In fact, since I was a child, my father allowed me to use the computer with him, respecting the proper rules. Over the years, the passion for computers and algorithms has been consolidated, throh.ugh books and papers that I read for my interest.
Overcoming Doubt
Although I won’t deny that over the years, I have always been a little afraid to go down this path. There were times when I doubted my capabilities and wondered if I really belonged in this field. To overcome this, I focused on celebrating small victories, seeking feedback, and continually reminding myself of my successes and growth.
Challenges and Support
During my college career, some pointed out differences from those around me, causing me to feel a strong sense of disappointment and loneliness, which was mitigated only by talking to other girls or boys in similar situations. The most evident example of this was womENcourage, which provided me with a chance to interact with international women in STEM, listen to their tales, and share their experiences.
First womENcourage Experience
This is the first conference in which I have actively participated. In particular, I had the privilege of attending the poster session, where I was able to explain the project, called GIS2, developed with my colleague. The purpose of this project mirrors the initiative of womENcourage. In fact, it allows us to identify the safest path within my university to increase autonomy and self-confidence.
Workshops and Lessons Learned
I have participated in various workshops offered by womENcourage. These events allowed me to enrich both my technical and personal skills through the experiences shared by the renowned guest speakers and other participants.
Looking Ahead
The conference made me grow not only professionally but also personally, becoming a valuable source of motivation to face future challenges. I highly recommend anyone who feels insecure about pursuing a STEM path to attend the womENcourage initiative to engage with different points of view.