Catalyst are strong supporters of diversity in the IT sector. So, to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024(external link), we are sharing insights into some of the amazing women who work at Catalyst and learning what IWD means to them.
Meet Kristina Hoeppner, Mahara Project Lead
Tell us about your career journey:
Starting my journey at Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, I immersed myself in innovative (educational) technology. Initially, we created HTML course support pages (this was pre-learning management systems only briefly after the internet took off). I also helped to equip fellow students with essential IT skills to evaluate information online.
Then, transitioning to Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Germany, as a project manager, workshop facilitator, and content creator, I worked in the 'imMEDIAte TEACHing' project - part of the larger European Union project 'SprachChancen(external link)' in Bavaria. The focus was on enhancing language teaching for university students. We did this by supporting instructors in learning about new media tools they could use with their students online or in a language lab.
Following this, I continued my professional journey at the University of Luxembourg, researching personal learning environments and facilitating workshops on platforms such as Moodle, Mahara, WordPress, and other specialised tools. However, I decided to discontinue my PhD – a challenging decision, yet in hindsight, it was the right choice for me. At this point, I sent an incentive application to Catalyst, with whom I had previously engaged to create features for the open source ePortfolio platform Mahara. Within four months, I arrived in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington and started my role as an eLearning Specialist. Initially handling both Mahara and Moodle clients, my focus gradually shifted toward Mahara, eventually leading me to my current role as the Mahara project lead.
In my multifaceted role at Catalyst, I engage globally with clients and the wider community, which can mean very early morning or late evening meetings, doing product development, and learning the odd bit of programming lingo. Over the past five years, I've also contributed to the AAEEBL Digital Ethics Task Force(external link), focusing on principles for portfolios with a commitment to digital ethics, including diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and decolonisation.
What does International Women's Day mean to you?
International Women's Day was celebrated annually in East Germany, honouring teachers, mothers, and women in general. Disappointed by its lesser recognition in Munich and Luxembourg, I made a point of congratulating women in my work teams. I am happy that there has been an international resurgence over the past few years; however, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that women's contributions to society are celebrated. It's important to pause and reflect on where we are at and what we can do to promote women's work as a society and as individuals.
It is also a day for me to self-reflect and be thankful for the many women who have been instrumental in my life. This includes family members, my first physics teacher, university professors, the project leads in Munich, and now women with whom I work daily.
The International Women's Day theme in 2024 is Inspire Inclusion. What do you do personally, or what do you think businesses can do to create a better culture reflecting this?
Working in a male-dominated industry, I think we still need to actively seek ways to make IT more welcoming to women and other groups of people who have not traditionally chosen to work in the industry. It also means to dismantle the stereotype that IT is all about programming. In fact, there are many roles in an IT company catering to diverse strengths: developers, business analysts, designers, testers, and infrastructure staff. Additionally, project managers, sales teams, and support teams ensure a successful implementation for clients. I also highlight this aspect when mentoring students and participating in initiatives like Tahi Rua Toru Tech.(external link)
A few questions organisations can ask themselves to check if they are supporting inclusion are:
- Do we have diverse hiring panels during the recruitment process?
- Are our job ads written in such a way that a range of people could apply?
- Are our policies and guidelines supportive of working and living situations, particularly when someone is a caregiver, which still often falls to women?
- Is our workforce diverse, and is that reflected in the imagery we use?
- Do our events include women and minoritised people as speakers and keynote speakers beyond a single token person?
What is the biggest change you have seen in your career supporting inclusion?
The biggest change is that the topic is addressed and discussed more openly rather than pushed to the side. That doesn't mean it's become easier because there isn't a quick fix. However, early education and support are important to increasing women's participation in technical roles, particularly when young girls express interest in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).
Fortunate to have strong women role models, I grew up in a society where women held diverse jobs at all levels. Consequently, the absence of women in key roles or non-traditional jobs struck me as odd, as it differed from my experience as a young student. Granted, behind closed doors, not everything was equal between women and men where I grew up, but there were certainly more opportunities from the outset.
What's one thing you hope to see change in the future to help empower more women in the workforce?
Continue to shift the work culture to be more inclusive of different working methods. It could be the workplace, working hours, employee benefits, and flexibility around potential caregiver responsibility fluctuations.
What one thing are you most proud of in your life?
I find joy in supporting people on their learning journeys and guiding conversations that positively impact their actions, leading to growth and success.
What's one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
Ask more questions to get to the 'Why,' and don't be afraid of having difficult conversations. We may be using the same words, but the intent or impact may differ in meaning based on cultural backgrounds and the places we currently live.