Helena Simpson (Class of 2023) 

After an incredible first year at Cambridge, I was shocked to find out that I am the first woman ever to achieve a first class result in any year of the Computer Science degree at my Cambridge college.

Whilst I am immensely proud of this achievement, as it is a testament to my hard work, it also highlights the historic and current inequalities and barriers faced by women in this field. I was initially hesitant to post about my results, but realised my instinct to diminish and hide my achievements is a byproduct of women being made to feel small and unworthy in male-dominated spaces.

Empowering women in computer science starts with empowering myself, and I look forward to seeing what firsts I can achieve next year!