Telling our stories – Anna Kuczik
Each year, we have the privilege of meeting inspiring women through ACM-W events. We invite participants to share their experiences in blog posts, highlighting their journeys, challenges, and achievements.
This month, we feature Anna, a student at the University of Debrecen in Hungary.
In this blog post, she shares her Ph.D. research in Informatics, her experience in teaching and reflections from womENcourage.
1. Introduction
My name is Anna Kuczik, and I am a student at the University of Debrecen in Hungary. I am currently in the second year of my PhD in Informatics. After completing my PhD, I would like to continue my work in the field of education. 
The first time I encountered a computer was when I was a primary school student. By the end of my primary school studies, I knew that I wanted to learn more about math and informatics. One of my female mathematics teachers recommended a high school in my hometown where I could study higher-level math and informatics. Now I see that she gave me the first “push” in the direction of the IT field. She believed in me and knew something I didn’t know at the time—I had found my place in the IT world.
2. Research, Teaching, and Academic Growth
The name of the doctoral program is Theoretical Computer Science, Data Security and Cryptography, and the topic of my PhD research is Unconventional Computational Models and Paradigms. I study theoretical computer science, which, due to its subject, is closely related to mathematics and mathematical calculations—something I’ve wanted to do all my life. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, I wasn’t sure if I would ever get to work with high-level mathematics again. Fortunately, during my master’s course in Computer Science, I had the opportunity to meet a teacher whose research topic aligned with my interests.
We began our research together in the field of membrane systems, and overall, I can thank him for the fact that I am now pursuing my PhD studies.
In addition to my research, education is very important to me. I have been teaching at the University of Debrecen for almost four years. During this time, I’ve had the opportunity to teach four different subjects, both in Hungarian and English. At the Faculty of Information Technology, the most important thing for me is applying practical knowledge and recognizing meaningful connections. As a young teacher, it is very important to me that my students do their best and that I can provide them with adequate support during lessons.
3. Reflections from womENcourage
This was my very first womENcourage conference. Although I have attended other conferences before, I knew that this one would be much different. The conference was a very positive experience for me in every sense, and I definitely want to participate again in the future. It was heartwarming to see so many people from different parts of the world come together as one big family for a few days—everyone was open and kind to one another.
I returned home with a lot of experience and energy. I recommend this conference to all women and men—you can hear inspiring stories here that you can apply in your own life.
I learned that we should take advantage of every opportunity and not put limits on our imagination, whether in our studies or our work.