Jacqueline Deprey says she’s always been a bit of a tomboy.Jacqueline Deprey (center, in maroon cardigan), a computer science student, works on a project with classmates in a game design and development class, Jan. 28, 2020, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. (Julie Taboh/VOA)So perhaps it’s no surprise that she’s been drawn to a field that typically attracts more men than women.Deprey’s love of computer science in particular was realized in high school when one of her teachers recognized her talent and drew her attention to it.“I don’t know if it’s because I was good at it, that I enjoyed it, or if it was vice versa, but she really was the first one to point out this passion of mine, and the more computer science classes I took, the more I kind of fell in love with it,” she said.  Deprey said she especially enjoys working on projects that can be applied to the real world.“And so I found that that tied in nicely with my side love for business, since in computer science we learn, what are the best ways to collect data to organize it? What are the fastest algorithms to sort it?” she said.Deprey is now a senior at the University of Maryland where she’s double majoring in computer science, and operations management and business analytics.Hidden figuresDeprey said she credits much of her success to a collaboration between her school and AnitaB.Org, a global nonprofit that’s helping advance women in technology.Stephanie Rodriguez, vice president of policy and engagement for the organization, works with the university and 14 other institutions on an annual basis through a project they call BRAID.“It stands for Building, Recruiting and Inclusion and Diversity,” Rodriguez said. “And it really focuses on a few strategies that leaders in undergraduate computer science departments can take to build more inclusive campuses.”What started as a small group of women online in the early days of the internet has grown into a coalition of millions of women around the world, Rodriquez said.The organization’s flagship event is the annual Grace Hopper Celebration, which is the world’s largest gathering of women in technology. Deprey was one of more than 26,000 people attending the celebration in Florida last year.“Through attending that conference, I think I was able to really recognize this passion in me and to know that there are other people who are fighting the same fight, who ...