Women Who Reign: Alaina Kafkes

“And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” — Kurt Vonnegut

Tell us about yourself along with a fun fact!
I’m a senior studying CS at Northwestern University, but I’ve dabbled in everything from theoretical chemistry to linguistics along the way. One of the things I’m most proud of is my dedication to championing #WomenInTech, all within a year of declaring my CS major. Currently, I’m the co-president of Women in Computing, a professional development & mentorship organization, and the founder of BuildHer, Chicago’s first-ever student-run women’s hackathon. I love to build new technologies that improve human health and happiness.

Personally, I’m that girl who points and waves at cute dogs in public — no shame — and, despite seeming very outgoing, I would much prefer the company of a few friends over a meal or in the midst of an adventure.

Fun fact: I’m ambidextrous.

Do you experience impostor syndrome? If so, how do you deal with it?