WIT Girls Job Shadow Week 2025 Recap
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Exploring Careers. Building Confidence. Connecting the Future of Technology.
This July, 85+ rising 9th to 12th-grade girls from across Georgia embarked on a unique journey. They stepped into boardrooms, innovation labs, and cybersecurity centers for a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes experience through the WIT Girls Job Shadow Week. Four outstanding host companies—Equifax, Insight Global, State Farm, and NCR Voyix (along with support from Cargill, NCR Atleos, and Accenture)—provided students the opportunity to explore real careers in technology, gaining valuable insights, skills, and role models. Their unique experiences are a testament to their potential and the impact of this program.
Here’s a detailed recap of how each company helped shape a week these girls will never forget.
Equifax: Confidence, Cybersecurity, and Collaboration
Day 1: Building Foundations
The week opened at Equifax with a surge of energy and purpose. Desiree Foy-Fisher led a critical thinking challenge called “Lost at Sea,” sparking collaboration and problem-solving from the start. This experience was a significant boost to the girls’ confidence, setting the tone for the rest of the week.
Chelsie Willis followed with a session on soft skills, teaching the importance of communication, time management, and adaptability in the workplace.
Next, Suneeta Mishra got everyone on their feet with a dynamic public speaking workshop, encouraging each girl to speak with clarity and confidence.
Rhonda McKinney closed the day with a relatable session on credit: what it means, how it works, and why understanding it early matters.
Day 2: Security at Every Level
With a theme of “protection,” the girls rotated through small-group discussions with six cybersecurity professionals. They participated in an AI panel that broke down complex topics, such as evolving technology and responsible innovation.
They then toured the Equifax Security Operations Center, a 24/7 command hub that protects customer data globally. The girls were captivated by the scope and intensity of the work, comparing it to scenes from a spy movie.
The day closed with an interactive case study that allowed them to apply everything they’d learned about cyber safety, from passwords to phishing to physical security.
Day 3: Real Teams, Real Roles
The day began with small-group chats led by Vasantha Kandikuppa, Nithya Sri Srinivasan, Desiree Foy Fisher, Jerica Richardson, Pamela Martin, Neha Chaudhary, and Sanjay Tiwari, representing roles across product management, cybersecurity, and platform engineering.
The girls then assumed team roles in simulated departments, including Product, Quality Review, Site Reliability Engineering, and Engineering. They worked through a data privacy case study, learning how different teams collaborate, and where communication can break down.
Day 4: Inspiration and Insight
Day 4 started with a full campus tour and a visit to Equifax’s on-site Starbucks. The girls then connected with interns and recent graduates who shared honest stories about navigating early career decisions, college pathways, and their first jobs.
This day was all about real talk, encouraging the girls to ask big questions and envision themselves in these roles in just a few short years.
Insight Global: Leadership Through Learning
Day 1: Career Journeys and Personal Identity
Insight Global kicked off its sessions with a four-person career panel. In small groups, the girls explored college choices, career pivots, and how to spot a great company culture.
DeWayne Griffin introduced the week’s personal reflection challenge: creating “I Am” statements rooted in confidence and clarity.
Day 2: Agile Engineering and Cybersecurity Response
Split into two tracks, the girls rotated through an Agile sprint simulation with Angela Stanford, Ben Roberts, and AJ Leeds, building a high-tech Magic 8 Ball using project management tools.
The cybersecurity group, led by team members Paydro, Roger, Ashley, Patrick, Lisa, Valli, and Sathya, engaged in a simulated cyberattack on a school system presented in an escape-room format. Both groups gained valuable insights into teamwork, critical thinking, and high-stakes decision-making.
Later, they explored product management, frameworks for user needs, and the Software Development Lifecycle through games and real-life examples.
An AI luncheon introduced the girls to Microsoft CoPilot, where they crafted creative prompts and debated thoughtful questions about AI ownership.
Day 3: Data, Decisions, and Interview Skills
The girls explored the world of data analytics and visualization, learning how to make numbers meaningful and informative. A hands-on Excel session gave them tangible skills in data transformation and storytelling, preparing them for real-world applications of their knowledge.
The day wrapped with interview prep training, confidence coaching, and a data-themed game of Pictionary to blend fun with focus.
Day 4: Tech in Action and a Shark Tank Finish
In the morning, AJ Leeds and Ben Roberts led a Software Development Life Cycle simulation, while Dwyatt Rogers and Safia Sharif introduced the girls to behind-the-scenes IT operations.
The week ended with a high-energy Shark Tank-style competition. The girls pitched original tech business ideas to a panel of leaders, celebrating their growth, creativity, and teamwork.
State Farm: Entrepreneurship, Design, and Communication
Day 1: Your Superpower and Starting a Business
The State Farm experience started by emphasizing entrepreneurship. The girls learned how to generate business ideas and protect those ideas through patents. They also identified their own unique “superpowers” — traits that distinguish them in both their personal lives and careers.
Day 2: Design Thinking and Brand Strategy
Shauntel Hall introduced design thinking and empathy mapping, while Abigail Arthur-Chillman led a prototype feedback session that connected creativity with real-world application.
A branding workshop with Kamilah Benjamin guided the girls through voice, tone, and design, ending with a fun “Brand Mad Libs” exercise to help crystallize their messaging.
Day 3: Financial Skills and Pitch Preparation
Lisa Torres taught the essentials of budgeting and shared memorable advice: “The numbers don’t lie.” She emphasized the importance of financial confidence, personal branding, and the idea that there’s room for everyone in the marketplace.
Kamisha Washington helped the girls build their pitch using a proven template—from the hook to the “ask.”
McKayla Davis, WIT’s 2024 Girl of the Year, returned to lead a CAD workshop in OnShape, showing how design and technology intersect.
Noe Carr closed the day with an engaging cybersecurity exercise focused on the foundations of information security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Day 4: Final Pitches and Real Feedback
The day began with a discussion on how to build inclusive, universally relevant pitches led by Victoria Williams.
Girls then delivered their final pitches to a group of leaders, including Angela Simpson, Brianna Banks, Kelley Simmons, Monika Blount, and Archy Ntabouna. The feedback was thoughtful, the presentations were bold, and the future looked bright.
NCR Voyix (with support from Cargill, NCR Atleos, and Accenture): Technology with Purpose
Day 1: AI Ethics and Everyday Innovation
The day began with a panel featuring Priyanka Patil, Madison Wooten, and Coleman Pusateri, followed by interns who shared real and relatable career stories.
Girls observed how digital manipulation operates by watching fake videos created from real photos and voices. This experience sparked important conversations about ethics and digital identity.
A tour of NCR Atleos’ ATM testing labs showcased how even the most familiar technologies are driven by innovation.
Day 2: Passion Mapping and Tech in Retail
Marci Rudolph led a workshop on identifying personal passions and future goals. The girls then connected with NCR professionals, who brought mentorship and clarity to the journey ahead.
Later, they explored how NCR technology powers retail and restaurant operations, seeing the real-world impact of backend innovation.
Day 3: Product, Agile, and Digital Footprints
Shelley King guided the girls through the fundamentals of product management, while Bura Iruku offered insight into the Scrum framework.
Jenny Reineck hosted a session on digital safety, reputation, and the long-term impact of social media.
Lunch included a mentoring session with NCR interns, and the day concluded with vision boards to help the girls turn their reflections into action.
Day 4: Agriculture Meets Analytics
Tim Derrico and Oneka Cornelius from Cargill gave an overview of the company’s role in agriculture and food security, surprising many with the brands Cargill supports, including McDonald’s, Dunkin’, and Chick-fil-A.
The girls watched live presentations from college interns and explored how data analytics supports supply chain, sustainability, and innovation.
Stephen Washington led a cybersecurity escape room challenge centered on a ransomware breach, teaching teamwork, critical thinking, and prevention.
The day ended with a five-woman panel focused on career journeys, with key advice:
- Be bold.
- Follow your curiosity.
- Let go of the pressure to be linear.
- Build your community.
A Week to Remember
WIT Girls Job Shadow Week 2025 wasn’t just about learning what it means to work in technology. It was about discovering what’s possible.
To every corporate partner, presenter, volunteer, and staff member who made this experience possible: thank you for investing in the next generation of leaders.
To the students who showed up with courage, curiosity, and ambition: your future in technology starts now.
We’re not just preparing girls to join the tech industry—we’re preparing them to lead it.
