U.S. Bank continues supporting Girls Who Code to close gender gap in technology

A recent Atlanta event helped jumpstart tech careers for young leaders

Success often starts with an opportunity and a connection. 

For the past two summers, U.S. Bank intern Alex Bryant has been working with the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion program to help teach high school students basic programming skills. 

“I had an opportunity to instill this love of technology and coding into students and it was awesome to pass on that knowledge,” Bryant said. “It was a really enriching experience.”

Bryant, a rising senior at Emory University in Atlanta, is wrapping up her summer internship at U.S. Bank where she has been working in software development, focusing on user interface design and implementation and AI/machine learning. 

Bryant was one of a dozen U.S. Bank interns who took part in the Girls Who Code Intern Meet-up event in Atlanta. This marks one of the first Girls Who Code Intern Meet-up events held nationally. 

U.S. Bank recently hosted the event at its Elavon offices in partnership with Girls Who Code, a leading nonprofit organization focused on closing the gender gap in technology. The bank has served as a corporate sponsor with Girls Who Code for more than seven years, investing over $1 million in the organization. 

The meet-up included 30 Girls Who Code college students and early career people representing12 universities and an additional 12 U.S. Bank interns. The goal was to create a networking opportunity for U.S. Bank leaders, interns and Girls Who Code participants to meet and engage with each other. U.S. Bank Chief Information Officer for Payment Services Rachel Hansen served as the host and addressed the group. 

“It is critical that we continue to provide opportunities for these young women,” Hansen said. “Girls Who Code is a super important organization to partner with. It helps us create a diverse environment, which is extremely valuable and takes involvement from everyone.”  

A panel of U.S. Bank leaders covered topics that included mentorship and allyship, landing a first job in technology, career advancement and upskilling, how to search and apply for jobs, interviewing skills and how to stand out in a competitive job market. 

“Girls Who Code meetups provide a sense of community,” Bryant said. “It’s nice to have a support system for personal and professional growth.”

According to Girls Who Code, the organization has served 670,000 young women and non-binary students over its 10-year history. In the 2023-24 academic year, Girls Who Code served nearly 100,000 girls, women and nonbinary individuals.

Learn more about Girls Who Code here.