Computer Vision News - December 2020

349 Naureen Mahmood university, to find a good position at the university. Even during my Bachelor’s, honestly, I wasn’t sure that I would go for computer graphics and computer vision. I had known about computer science, and I started learning a little bit of programming, with Fortran actually. We have this in common! The only language that I ever studied. I started only with Fortran, and I thought it was amazing! [ laughs ] Everything was so logical! From there, when I went to do my Bachelor’s, there was also C++ and Java, and a whole world opened up! As a Pakistani, I was definitely one ofthe lucky ones to get into this university. There are not many spots for these kinds of universities. I think there definitely needs to be many more. During my college years in Pakistan, I could see many colleagues who had so much potential, they just never pursued it further. What was it about you that you were able to go abroad and seize opportunities? What was the special fire that you had to do that? [ laughs ] That’s a good question. I don’t think that I personally have a special firethat other people don’t have. Many have this ambition of doing great things with their skills, but lack the opportunities. I was lucky to be there at the right place, at the right time. I applied to scholarships. From Pakistan to the US, I went on a Fulbright scholarship. That’s how I got to go. Without the scholarship, I would not have been able to pay US college prices. What’s your message to mankind? There is something I can say for women, but it honestly applies to everyone. First thing, don’t be afraid to pursue opportunities just because you think you won’t make it. That has been one of the reasons why I was able to persevere. Second thing, don’t be afraid to ask people for help. Always be willing to break into a group and introduce yourself. This is something that I had to work on myself [ laughs ]. I always assume that I will be able to figure it out. Even before we had Google, I would go to the library to try and figure it out. But people are mostly very happy to join in when they have a similar interest. Based on these things, always aim for the best! Does faith help you? Yes! I guess so! Besides faith in general, it’s more about faith in people. Sure, there are not very nice people out there. If you look, you will also find people who are willing to help. Find out 100 more interviews like this with Women in Science! “It’s more about faith in people!”