Dalia's Story

I remember when I was 6 years old, when we received our first computer. My cousin, who was 15 at the time, came to our house with a monitor, lots of cables and the big beige machine. He installed it and taught my brother how to use it. I remember thinking that it was cool, but not for me. I used to sit next to him and watch him play his Super Mario game.

As a young girl, and even growing up, computers did not seem to be a thing for women. I’ve always been good at math though – I loved it since I was a young girl. And that’s why I pursued economics and focused on statistics in university. It was only later, while browsing articles on the web, that I discovered data science. I decided to enroll in courses, and for the first time, I learnt what that big beige machine really was. I learned how to program and specialized in data science and machine learning, and I loved it! I was so impressed by the things we can do with technology. We often think the tech world is so mechanical, but I think it’s incredibly creative too. That’s something that I believe many women aren’t encouraged to pay attention to. 

That’s what I love about Bell – we’re always seeking the best technologies out there and we’re encouraged to think outside the box and get creative in solving both technical and business challenges. A project that I’ve been working on lately is a framework of data analysis that I came up with, which allows engineers to get to the root cause of technical issues faster by using machine learning. I’m lucky to be surrounded by amazing leaders and mentors that believe in me, push me outside my comfort zone and create a safe space for me to learn and innovate. What I love the most is seeing how my highly technical role brings immediate impact to the organization and to millions of customers across Canada. 

Who would’ve thought that a 6 year old girl who was intimated by the computer could be part of the tech world, making it her vocation to keep up to date with technology and contribute to the community? We don’t need more girls sitting on the side and watching their brothers play a computer game. We need more girls playing the game!  I’m glad organisations such as Bell are strong advocates of diversity in the tech field, and I believe that with more brains, experiences and perspectives, we can all add value to the advancement of technology.

Dalia Shanshal

Senior Developer, Data Science

Want to learn more about High Tech Careers at Bell? Visit  https://jobs.bell.ca/ca/en/c/technology-jobs