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STEM Day 2021: Meet Xeniya Shirinova, Engineering Manager at ApplyBoard

Illustration of women in STEM fields

ApplyBoard’s mission is to educate the world. We took this mission one step further earlier this year by launching our STEM for Change Scholarship Program. The scholarship was created to drive diversity and inclusion by empowering women worldwide to pursue an education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Inclusion and diversity are at the heart of everything we do at ApplyBoard. We are proud of the fact that we have achieved over 50% gender parity over the last two years and that our employees speak more than 75 languages. 

Historically, there has been an underrepresentation of women in STEM. This gender gap further widens as some women with a STEM degree opt to pursue non-STEM roles after graduation. At ApplyBoard, we strive to increase female recruitment and retention, including our technology and engineering roles. We believe that women bring a unique perspective to these roles and are essential to our success.

Meet Xeniya Shirinova in Our Video

In celebration of STEM Day, we sat down with Xeniya Shirinova, an Engineering Manager at ApplyBoard. In this video, Xeniya shares: 

  • Her story of getting into STEM
  • Advice for students, especially women who want to study this field
  • Her advice for women pursuing a STEM career at ApplyBoard

Xeniya describes herself as a continuous learner and says, “if you are like me, you would never get bored in STEM.”

A Culture That Cares

One of ApplyBoard’s core values is building a culture that cares about one another. As a mom of three, Xeniya emphasizes the importance of working in a supportive environment and having helpful colleagues. She also credits her career success in part to women role models and support at home. 

“Here at ApplyBoard, everyone is super supportive and willing to help.”

“Here at ApplyBoard, everyone is super supportive and willing to help,” explains Xeniya. “I have had several women in my life as managers and role models, and they have inspired me in my career. In particular, the VP of Engineering [I worked with] in one of my previous roles has been instrumental in catapulting my career growth. I also have huge support from my husband—without him, I could not have succeeded.” 

Xeniya is also a member of ǿӰWomen’s Network (AWN) and actively participates in their workshops, which help build confidence and leadership competencies. One of AWN’s objectives is to foster and promote women in STEM, both internally and in the wider community. 

“I recommended women to join our Engineering Team,” says Xeniya. She also encourages women to apply for a role even if they do not meet all of the requirements in the job description. She wholeheartedly believes that women can excel in any role. 

Want to Join Our Team?

Head over to the ǿӰCareers page where you can find STEM roles across Research and Development, Data and Analytics, and Information Technology. 

View our open roles.

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