Closing the gender gap for women in computer science

During her four years as an undergraduate student, Dariani has completed three paid co-op placements, the last of which was as a software engineering intern in the small business team at Scotiabank. 

“That was a very impactful internship for me, because I got firsthand experience on what it means to be a developer within a team, especially within the banking space,” says the fourth-year student. Dariani will join the bank full-time this fall as an engineering associate in its Momentum program, which introduces new grads to different areas of its digital operations.

In the computer science program, Dariani has been building foundational knowledge in web development, artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality. The industry-accredited program produces cybersecurity specialists, full stack developers, software engineers and product managers who advance digital innovation across many different sectors.

Dariani’s first placement was as a project management intern at cybersecurity consulting company iSecurity, where she analyzed computer and financial systems for inefficiencies, implemented new reporting tools and created a company wiki. Next, as a programming workshop assistant at TMU’s Debug Room, she provided coursework support to new computer science students.

Throughout her time in the faculty, Dariani has volunteered in various roles for TMU’s Women in Computer Science (external link, opens in new window)  group, organizing coding workshops and industry speakers, managing social media content, tracking financials and mentoring female high school students. She wants to help young women feel less intimidated about joining this still male-dominated discipline. 

“I felt like I could be a representation for other people if they saw me,” says Dariani, whose diverse contributions to computer science earned her the 2023 Lucia Flaim Award and the 2023 Women in Computer Science Award. “If she can do it, I can also do it.”

The Faculty of Science is committed to closing the gender gap in computer science – an effort Dariani supports, emphasizing the value in having more women at the table when it comes to computer science.