HBCU students break barriers, innovate technology in Google's Tech Exchange

May 24th, 2024

"Tech Exchange" program students attend a farewell event in Google's Midtown Office on May 17, 2024. (Marlon Hyde/WABE)

Wearing a navy blue and white varsity jacket that says “Tech Exchange,” Howard University student Ife Martin is one of over 150 students who participated in Google’s semester-long virtual academic program, which recently concluded last Friday.

“I’m really happy that we ended up in Atlanta. The Google offices have so much color here,” she said. “And then, like, we bring some color because we got the energy of the youth.”

Earlier this month, the Tech Exchange program hosted students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic-serving institutions, allowing them to network with local tech leaders, discuss AI and attend workshops within Google’s Atlanta office.

“Being able to hear talks from engineering directors that are black women … we know that diversity is here.”
Jessica Hill, Google education equity team lead

“Being surrounded by people who share that same love for code and love for technology has made my passion and inspiration flourish,” said Shilah Watson, a junior computer science major at Spelman College.

“I’m really excited for this summer and will be working on a whole bunch of new projects.”

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, around a third of the tech industry is not white.

Jessica Hill, who leads Google’s education equity team, says that she wanted to make sure that students participating were able to see themselves.

“Being able to hear talks from engineering directors that are black women … we know that diversity is here,” she said. “Folks in those roles are able to look like the students that we’re trying to serve. It’s really powerful.”

Hill added that as these students soon prepare to enter the workforce, increasing diversity and empowering the next generation will be key to creating more equitable AI tools.

“Just seeing somebody in a position that I really didn’t know was attainable when I was in high school. It’s just incredible to me,” said Skylar Fletcher, a junior computer science major at Spelman College.

Will Walton III, Ife Martin, Shilah Watson and Skylar Fletcher pose for a photograph at a “Tech Exchange” event in Google’s Midtown Office on May 17, 2024. (Marlon Hyde/WABE)

Atlanta native Will Walton III, a junior at North Carolina A&T State University, agrees.

“At the end of the day, we are human; we create the AI,” Walton said. ”For me, it’s just impacting the community in the technical space … I just [want] to help the black community strive in a different stratosphere.”