Proud To Be Tmobile community photo project

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Warriors & Quiet Waters helping post 9/11 combat veterans

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Warriors &amp; Quiet Waters: Helping Veterans and Their Families Find a Life of Purpose

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AAPIHAM Employee Spotlight: &#8220;I&#8217;m Living Proof&#8221;

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Women's History Month femtech IoT innovations

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What’s Next for the World of Women’s Wearables?

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Black History Month T-Mobile Career Fest for high school students

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Employee Spotlight: A Champion for the Next Generation of Tech Leaders

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Veterans Day Employee Spotlight: Saying Thank You For Your Service.

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LULAC T-Mobile Conexiones Digital Literacy

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The Conexiones Program Helps Latino Students Navigate the Digital World

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Employee Spotlight: What Is Possible.

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Inclusion Powers Our Culture

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Employee Spotlight: Pride is Power

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Employee Spotlight: An Intersectional Experience of May

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Asian American and Pacific Islander Month: The many pieces of a beautifully complex puzzle

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In 2021, T-Mobile Stories&nbsp;<a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.t-mobile.com%2Fnews%2Fcommunity%2Femployee-spotlight-proud-to-be-pride-2021&data=05%7C01%7CJason.Adams217%40T-Mobile.com%7Cd057f5126eac47ebb74308db5afdb986%7Cbe0f980bdd994b19bd7bbc71a09b026c%7C0%7C0%7C638203818002887606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cj4YQe0jLLDD5yBjUHOj5iRMgdPaOlC10y6o1%2BtZ6SQ%3D&reserved=0">introduced you to Joe Richards, the employee and artist</a>&nbsp;behind a companywide community photo project entitled “Proud to Be,” which invited employees to visually showcase who they are and how they are embracing that identity during Pride Month.

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In a&nbsp;<a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftmobile-newsroom.wistia.com%2Fmedias%2Fbzowo9c8tc&data=05%7C01%7CJason.Adams217%40T-Mobile.com%7Cd057f5126eac47ebb74308db5afdb986%7Cbe0f980bdd994b19bd7bbc71a09b026c%7C0%7C0%7C638203818002887606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8Wmq89H0VxlOkBqIlFkM8Gh%2FcrMp4vl0TTtT8GS%2F57Q%3D&reserved=0">video interview</a>,&nbsp;Joe explained why he first created the participatory photo project six years ago at the Charleston Customer Experience Center where he was a Customer Resolution Expert, and served as the lead for the company’s Pride Employee Resource Group in the local Diversity, Equity & Inclusion chapter. While Pride season offers members of the LGBTQ+ community a moment to advocate and celebrate their identities together,&nbsp;Joe told us he&nbsp;was inspired by T-Mobile’s year-round “Be You” motto to search for a way to open up Pride — and the experience of being “seen” — to everyone. (The company is also embracing the motto “Stronger Together” for this Pride Month, a perfect accompaniment to Joe’s ongoing “Proud to Be” project.)

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With the simple directive to employees to write down what they're proud to be on a chalkboard, Joe captured dozens of inspiring photographs of smiling sign-bearers and built an art installation to display them in the call center. T-Mobile supported Joe's vision and two years ago helped him bring the project to a companywide scale by offering an internal virtual platform for employees all around the country to upload their "Proud to Be" images. From humble beginnings, with 44 people participating that first year, the project saw more than 200 people participate by 2020. Now a Mobile Expert in Charleston, Joe says watching his art evolve and take space alongside T-Mobile's own growth these last few years has been incredible.

Here we will share even more of what T-Mobile employees are saying this year as they participate in the 2023 installation of the art project, by showcasing new images and video of the many who are submitting their “Proud to Be” statements throughout the month.

P.S. If you watched the video above, you know the first day of Pride Month is also Joe's birthday! Happy Birthday, Joe!

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Check back every week throughout June to see new and updated images and videos from those who have submitted their own “Proud to Be” moments. Any questions? Email us at: <a href="mailto:Stories-Tools@T-Mobile.com">Stories-Tools@T-Mobile.com</a>

This Pride Month, T-Mobile's companywide community photo project is being showcased to the public, and inviting everyone to participate.

See Why We Are Proud to Be - T-Mobile Newsroom

Amy Viettry learned at a young age that she’d have to largely rely on herself and her own determination if she were to blaze a trail in corporate life, and indeed life itself.

“My parents came here to America to create opportunity for me,” the T-Mobile Senior Program Manager says, “and they’ve pushed me to be successful on my own because they knew they couldn’t line up all the ducks for me.”

As the daughter of refugee immigrants from Vietnam, Amy said the language barrier was just one of many obstacles that put a lot of the responsibility on her shoulders when it came to her schooling — and impacted her career ambitions.

Yet, she's never lost sight of the sacrifices her parents made by creating a life for her in America. Today, with a bachelor's and master's degree in her pocket, she is committed to trailblazing a way for others like her to succeed by leading a company program aimed at high school students looking for support with their STEM career and education goals.

"We talk about networking all the time and it's hard when you have to start with zero network," she explains. "I don't have parents who can say I know someone at this college to meet with you or someone at a company I can get you an interview with. I come from a low-income family that's supporting me and my three siblings. I couldn't afford college, so I started working right away at 18."

The T-Mobile Explorer Prep Program follows the company's goal of hiring diverse early career talent in STEM fields. During the two 8-week summer internships, students can earn a professional certificate in their field of interest while gaining on the job experience.

After completing the program, students are eligible to apply for a full-time employment development role that unlocks tuition assistance for higher education. The program also provides a pathway for students to pursue higher education.

For Amy, as T-Mobile's first program manager for the Explorer Prep Program, this presents a unique opportunity for high school students to jumpstart their careers in technology.

The conventional pathway into a career after completing high school and then college, Amy explains, isn't always the most accessible or equitable path. For her, the chance to explore an alternative was exactly what she needed to succeed and what others like her deserve.

"There are so many students that might be the first to try to go to college or who come from households that can't afford to pay for college and are fearful of going into debt from hefty student loans," she says. "This program is there to support them. For me, this is obviously very close to my heart. I'm living proof this can work, even if it is untraditional."

While the Explorer Prep program is currently offered at select partner schools in the Seattle and Kansas City areas, close to T-Mobile’s two headquarters, Amy hopes its early success will expand its reach to more students in need.

We spoke with Amy about how the Explorer Prep Program works and how she is using her experiences to inform its optimal inclusivity. We also spoke to one student enrolled in the program who says Amy's story inspired her to pursue her dreams of a career in STEM.

Can you tell us a little about how growing up the child of immigrant parents has impacted you and your career choice?

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My mom is Chinese and my dad is Vietnamese. Both were living in Vietnam and came over as refugees from the Vietnam War. I grew up in a low-income neighborhood, but I went to school in an affluent white neighborhood. My dad was the only source of income and worked seven days a week to provide for me and my three siblings while my mom took care of us at home. I'm so grateful because they never made me feel less privileged. I never felt like I didn't have money, I just knew that there were things that I couldn't have that other kids could.

School was a challenge because I had to do a lot of things on my own that I saw others' parents were handling for them. I had to fill out my own FAFSA and see school counselors and get school documents to register myself for things. I'd have to comprehend it all and explain it to them. There were so many kids out there I felt that had more support and connections when it came to getting into colleges. It's just about knowing people who can help!&nbsp;

I didn't get my bachelor's degree until 10 years after I graduated high school. I knew my family couldn't afford college, especially if it was just in the hopes of figuring out what exactly I wanted to do next. I started working right away at 18 knowing that my family wouldn't be able to continue supporting me. I got a job at T-Mobile in 2012. Fast forward to 2016 and I asked myself, "Why am I not taking advantage of this tuition assistance that my company's offering?" So, I enrolled into tuition assistance and I got my bachelor's degree in 2020.

Immediately after getting my bachelor's degree, I enrolled in my master's and have just graduated! It was a great opportunity for me to be able to get something later because our company offered that help. It's one reason why The Explorer Prep Program is so close to my heart. I'm living proof this can work, even if it is untraditional.

Can you explain how the Explorer Prep Program works?

The program started in 2020 and it's a two-consecutive summer experience program for high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in STEM. We're starting at the high school level and it's a great way for us to really help provide students the exposure that they're looking for in the industry to get their minds thinking sooner. When you think back to high school, many remember having no idea what they wanted to do but they're applying to a four-year university anyways and paying for general education classes. Students often switch majors and have no idea what a career in the field they're pinpointing even looks like. This program caters to both the students that don't know what they want to do and also to the students that know exactly what they want to do. Our targeted audience is simply students that might not have the means to go to college and that's where that diversity comes in. It's inclusive of everyone.

There are three fields that we're looking for: software engineers, cyber security engineers and user experience designers. We're looking to be able to build a pipeline of diverse, top talent at a younger age than college level. They join the summer of their junior year and the summer after they graduate high school. The application process goes through the schools, and my school partners review those applications and send to our recruiters, who then select 30 student candidates to come in May for what we call the Manager Match Event, which is set up like an interview. It's all in conjunction with local colleges for them to get a two-year certification in the career track that they want to go into. And they're paid during it all. The program is small right now with Seattle Public Schools, Edmonds School District and Kansas City Public Schools, but there's hopes of building it out with more partner schools.

Why is this program an important disruption to the status quo when it comes to the usual paths to education and career in your opinion?

It's an untraditional way to get into a career because it's kind of the reverse. The traditional route is you go to high school, you do a four-year university, you get into a college internship and you cross your fingers that you'll get a career out of it, right? This way is flipped around. You start taking college courses your senior year in high school and you start doing internships your high school summers. But it's actually so much more focused than an internship. It's a summer experience with a clear path towards their future.

While students typically go for that four-year bachelor's degree to get a career, what we're offering is a chance to get the experience to make the right career choice for you. You get a certification, which is a specialized certificate in a field of your choice, and then we offer you an exclusive interview for full-time employment with T-Mobile. Once you become an employee with T-Mobile, we offer tuition assistance. If you still want to pursue your bachelor's degree, we got you! So, yes, it's untraditional but we're offering something that students weren't able to get before.

Since becoming the first program manager to lead this, I've implemented a new recruiting strategy that invites the whole family onto our campus because parents are essentially the decision makers for these high school students, and we need to explain why we are doing this. Growing up, even I thought it had to be a four-year university to get your bachelor's to then get a career. That's how we were trained to think. I think it's important to talk to the parents and explain to them that there is a way to help your kids get their dream job without having to get caught up in student loan debt if that's the concern. Let me tell you how. Let me introduce you to the professionals who will be mentoring your children and helping them find their own pathway to career success, and how that can also lead to education success as well!

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During AAPIHAM, a first-generation American shares how her unique journey inspired her to lead a T-Mobile program for diversity in technology.

AAPIHAM Employee Spotlight: "I'm Living Proof" - T-Mobile Newsroom

AAPIHAM Employee Spotlight: “I’m Living Proof”

“I’m often asked how we got connected with <a href="https://warriorsandquietwaters.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warriors & Quiet Waters</a>,” says Paula Timmons, a T-Mobile director of Government Affairs in Washington, D.C., with a smile. “I guess that would start with me. In the back of my head, I kept thinking of my colleague Laura and her husband Drew. Laura and I have been close friends for almost 20 years and over that time, watching her with Drew, I knew I wanted to be an ally for her — be a better friend for her.”

Our story begins here, with this simple act of allyship.

Paula says in her role she sees herself as an ambassador for T-Mobile, sharing its policies and values with policymakers on Capitol Hill. She was working on a project to find underserved rural markets in need of the benefits of fast and reliable connectivity, when she met officials from the state of Montana. She was invited to represent T-Mobile at an event with Montana Senator Steve Daines. While there, she struck up a conversation with a few men who said they were on the board of an organization called Warriors & Quiet Waters.

“I learned they were all veterans who suffered from some kind of PTSD,” says Paula.&nbsp;

She says they described their mission at Warriors & Quiet Waters as helping post-9/11 combat veterans and their families thrive by building a support system and sense of community through outdoor excursions like fly fishing. She says they asked if she thought T-Mobile might be interested in learning more about one of the biggest events they were planning that year, called the Warrior Taste Fest.

“I knew right away I wanted T-Mobile to be part of this event in our new Bozeman Montana market,” says Paula, “but I found myself constantly thinking about my friend Laura. Knowing she was an avid fly fisher and knowing what she had been going through with her husband Andrew, I just felt like I needed to make that connection.”

“In the words of Johnny Cash, we got married in a fever,” laughs Laura Linderman Barker, a senior director on the Government Affairs team at T-Mobile.

Laura says she met her husband Andrew when he was doing reserve duty in the Navy and working with the Department of Justice. They fell in love quickly - then married quickly - because he was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan.&nbsp;

"Unfortunately, when he left for his seventh and last deployment, Andrew was in close proximity to a blast and suffered a traumatic brain injury," says Laura. "TBIs are complicated. I had no idea what it meant to be a military wife. I was someone who always planned everything and felt in control, but then became someone who never felt so emotionally vulnerable. And I deeply missed my husband."

Laura says she had no concept of what to expect of supporting a navy veteran reintegrating into civilian life, and though she was struggling, they just kept moving forward working and caring for their two daughters.

When Paula first mentioned her chance encounter with the board members she met from Warrior & Quiet Waters, she says she saw it as a wonderful opportunity for T-Mobile. The part of Montana where the organization is located was a rural area in need of better connectivity and the two were able to get approval to have T-Mobile sponsor the Warrior Taste Fest to continue its work of supporting veterans.

“I admit when I first heard of Warriors & Quiet Waters, I immediately thought, ‘I need to get my husband involved in this and it kind of went over my head that I should apply as well,’” she says.

Laura says when she arrived in Montana to visit the organization with Paula, she was surprised to hear they were beginning to work on a caregiver-focused fishing expedition program. Emily Sather, Chief Development Officer at Warriors & Quiet Waters, asked if Laura would be interested in applying.

"I think Laura for the first time felt that she found a community that understood who she was and what she was going through - she was a caregiver," says Paula. "And the opportunity to take advantage of this new-found community through fly fishing came at the perfect time with what Laura was going through. I saw her struggling and I needed to help her put one foot in front of the other."

Once again, Laura says it was her ally Paula who pushed her to see that, she too, was deserving of care.

"My takeaway is that I'm of no value to my husband and family if I'm not taking care of myself. And this program reminds people to stop and energize and refuel because you're going back to a situation that requires your energy and if you don't ever recharge it can be a recipe for disaster. It reminded me to not just focus on what it is to have my most basic needs met, but to challenge me to pursue a life of purpose."

Laura returned from that trip excited to do more for the organization so, she decided to write a letter directly to Jon Freier, T-Mobile's President of Consumer Group and an avid supporter of the company's Veterans and Allies Network employee resource group. She told her story and was immediately given the support she requested to have T-Mobile to become a lead corporate sponsor for their next Warrior Taste Fest fundraiser.

Members of Warriors & Quiet Waters say the attention that they were able to bring to their biggest event was invaluable back then in 2021. Committed to supporting service members and military spouses, T-Mobile has renewed its lead corporate sponsorship every year since, including most recently for the next Warrior Taste Fest in September 2023.

This year the organization is creating a new program called Built For More, which invites six to eight veterans to not only participate in their foundational outdoor events in Montana, but also stay connected for a year long journey that includes life coaches and mentors to help their transition to civilian life with their families. It's a program Laura says her husband Drew will be participating in.

"It's not just about helping veterans to survive," ultimately, says Laura, "it's how do we get them to thrive? And it's in that thrive that you come to a self-actualization or a life of purpose. And I know this to be particularly important in the lives of a veteran family. For the veteran caregiver or the children, it's important because so much effort often goes into helping the veteran succeed, and oftentimes you forget to make sure you're succeeding. And my participation in this program reminded me of the importance of thinking about challenging yourself to a greater life of purpose, because that's when you see veterans and their families thriving, and that is the goal of Warriors & Quiet Waters."

Recently chosen to continue an additional nine years as&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/business/veterans-affairs-selects-t-mobile/nr-hero-us-dept-va-partnership-4-12-23">its primary wireless provider</a>, T-Mobile is proud to be deploying up to 50,000 wireless lines for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare professionals — including doctors, nurses, social workers and crisis hotline staff — so they can stay connected to the millions of veterans they serve.

In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, we bring you the personal story of how Warriors & Quiet Waters is helping one of T-Mobile's own employees.

Warriors & Quiet Waters: Helping Veterans and Their Families Find a Life of Purpose - T-Mobile Newsroom

Warriors & Quiet Waters: Helping Veterans and Their Families Find a Life of Purpose

Warriors &amp; Quiet Waters: Helping Veterans and Their Families Find a Life of Purpose - T-Mobile Newsroom

Tech and STEM careers have a reputation for being&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.outvise.com/women-in-technology-statistics-gender-gap-fibre/">uninclusive of women</a>. According to research from&nbsp;<a href="https://adevait.com/state-of-women-in-tech">Adeva</a>, a global talent agency focused specifically on placing talent in roles within tech, only 3% of female students report that they would consider a career in technology and women hold just 25% of computing jobs in the overall tech industry.

At this rate, Adeva’s research suggests it will take until the year 2133 to close this gender gap. It’s a laughable timeline that women like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marijabutkovic/?originalSubdomain=uk">Marija Butkovic</a>&nbsp;are working hard to expedite through their work in a niche area of tech primed to bring about change: wearables.

“I was the co-founder of a wearable tech startup and through that experience I learned that the wearable tech space was very heavily filled with men,” she says. “Women were not represented in the space as innovators, investors and as startup founders. So I started&nbsp;<a href="https://www.womenofwearables.com/">Women of Wearables</a>&nbsp;as a very small meetup group. From there, through events and content and collaborations, we have become a community of 20,000-plus members in almost 60 countries now. We come together with the same mission, which is educating people about the latest technological innovations, but also raising awareness and advocating about the need to invest more in female founders and innovators in this space.”

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Marija believes that WoW is proof that <a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/business/solutions/iot/network-technologies">IoT technology</a> is poised to redefine how we manage our personal health, with women’s issues stepping into the forefront. She says the focus in healthcare is turning towards prevention, and wearables can be the connective tissue between the patient and the doctor. The femtech industry, largely comprised of female founders, innovators, designers and technologists focused on women’s health in the wearable tech space, is jumping on the opportunity.

“There has been a focus on digital health in general and there’s a great intersection between women’s health and wearable technology. Fitbit and Apple introduced their first features for women’s health to their fitness trackers and <a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/smart-watches">smartwatches</a> only in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/smartwatch-rolls-out-new-female-health-tracking-feature">2018</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-cycle-tracking-app-ios-13-watchos-6-launch-2019-9">&nbsp;2019</a>, respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;So you can imagine what kind of a data gap that presents, and that’s where all these innovative&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/health/femtech-women-health-care.html">femtech startups</a>&nbsp;come into this equation because they’re filling the data gap. It’s still very early, but I think what the pandemic has brought us is greater awareness of the use of wearables and the case studies we could do with them and the convenience of using them.”

Whether it’s wearable breast pumps, safety wearables or hardware devices in the fertility space, IoT has shown promise in providing tools that could potentially be used in the battle for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vodafone.com/news/inclusion/the-future-is-female">equal gender representation</a>, positioning the <a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/coverage/4g-lte-5g-networks">5G era</a> to be more progressive and inclusive.

Here Marija shares her insights on the potential of 5G and IoT technology to positively affect women’s spaces, and where there’s still ample room to be filled by the next generation of female tech leaders.

T-Mobile actively works to open up the dialogue on how to support women in tech by spotlighting those who have&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/svp-inspires-women-in-tech">climbed to the top of their fields</a>, highlighting programs that support female students&nbsp;<a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.t-mobile.com%2Fnews%2Fcommunity%2Femployee-spotlight-a-champion-for-the-next-generation-of-tech-leaders&data=05%7C01%7CShawna.Ryan16%40t-mobile.com%7Ce1cfee6036e847273db408db1318bc59%7Cbe0f980bdd994b19bd7bbc71a09b026c%7C0%7C0%7C638124769180398672%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bShiNrVpICacmipk%2FK6lGXz%2FZo55htwR4DDsnyakAn8%3D&reserved=0">to explore careers in tech</a>&nbsp;and even create avenues to help women&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/successful-returnship-program-returns-2022">return to their careers</a>&nbsp;after gaps in work. In your opinion, why are the numbers of women in various tech fields still so low?

I’ve seen more and more women studying STEM, which is excellent, however that’s not translated into women actually holding high-ranking STEM positions in different companies. I think the problem is because of a mix of issues women juggle: family, jobs and expensive childcare. I think that very often the problem is also maybe a lack of confidence because women want to tick all the boxes when they’re applying for a job, especially if it’s a senior job role. <a href="https://employers.gradtouch.com/insight/women-wont-apply-to-a-job-unless-they-meet-100-of-the-requirements-myth-or-lesson-to-be-learnt/">There have been studies</a> done that show men will apply for a job even if they maybe tick only a percentage of the boxes. It’s why I think that programs like those you mentioned that help women see themselves in their careers and support them are so important. Companies need to ask not only can we attract women who are incredible talents, but keep them and support them along the way.

Also, inclusivity starts right from the job posting. When you see a job post, how is it written? What types of words does it use? Is it using inclusive language and when you are interviewed for the job, who's interviewing you? Are women interviewing you or men interviewing you? And finally, how inclusive is the company is in terms of employee benefits. What we have seen at WoW is a lot of companies now are introducing all sorts of women's health benefits, such as fertility support like IVF, which I think is excellent. It's not only about attracting diverse talent, it's about retaining the talent.

Also what we have learned at WoW is sometimes you have to grab women's attention early to get them interested in STEM. You have to be very creative in how you present career opportunities to women and see those role models. You cannot be what you cannot see. So, I hope that we can really highlight more female role models, especially in senior positions in these companies, and show that you don't always need to have a degree from Harvard or Stanford to get there. There are women who don't have that, and they have still succeeded. That's precisely the woman we have to highlight.&nbsp;

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What are some of the innovative wearable products you’re looking at now that aim to find new answers to common women’s issues?

There’s a real boom in the femtech space around fertility devices. I think of things like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.naturalcycles.com/oura">Natural Cycles</a>, which just announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://news.samsung.com/ca/samsung-and-natural-cycles-partner-to-bring-advanced-temperature-based-cycle-tracking-to-galaxy-watch5-series#:~:text=Natural%20Cycles%20leverages%20its%20technology,including%20the%20groundbreaking%20BioActive%20Sensor.">collaboration with Samsung</a>. I think that’s incredibly positive for the ecosystem because their solution will be embedded into <a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/smart-watches/brand/samsung">Samsung’s Galaxy watches</a>. There are devices being made that you can use for your pelvic health by doing pelvic floor exercising. We have a community member at WoW that I’ve written about that has a belt for osteoporosis that’s been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20201215/fda-grants-breakthrough-device-designation-to-osteoporosis-vibration-belt">proven with its regular vibration</a>&nbsp;improves the density of your bones, which is incredibly important for women going through menopause.

One thing I will note is the wearable space is growing, and while women's issues like fertility and pregnancy are massive areas for innovation right now, we haven't seen enough innovation in wearables for non-reproductive health issues. Most people still see the femtech industry as a reproductive industry, but we have to focus on many other areas that don't view women solely as reproductive machines. We need innovations around autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular, food and nutrition, mental health, Alzheimer's and dementia.

How important have the advancements in our connectivity with 5G been to help these innovations come about?

Incredibly important. I think that we cannot see the ecosystem thrive until we bring all the key stakeholders together. One part of that community are big tech companies like T-Mobile because they’re&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobile-expands-leading-5g-network-with-additional-coverage-and-capacity">building the infrastructure</a>. You can have the most amazing device, but if you don’t have the&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/coverage/4g-lte-5g-networks">base infrastructure</a>&nbsp;on which your device will run, what’s it all for? 5G is especially important because of how it will contribute to easier use and the potential to interconnect of many of your devices together. I dream of a future where if I have a smart fitness tracker, I have a smartwatch, I have all sorts of different devices, we can all sync them up and they can all be interconnected and work together, and we can all benefit from these devices without needing to use maybe all the devices from the same brand. That would be amazing, because that brings more opportunity for an average user and for widespread adoption for all women.

Are you a woman who has taken a break from work and is looking to return to a career in tech? Take a look at&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/successful-returnship-program-returns-2022">T-Mobile’s Returnship Program</a>, which creates a system of mentorship and support for those interested in various tech positions.&nbsp;<a href="https://careers.t-mobile.com/meet-our-teams/students-grads-and-returners/returnships/">Apply here.</a>

This Women’s History Month, we spoke with the CEO of Women of Wearables about her expert insights on the promise of 5G and the growing femtech space.

What’s Next for the World of Women’s Wearables? - T-Mobile Newsroom

Dr. Cheryl Cooper has worked hard to earn four credentials and degrees in cybersecurity: DCS, CISSP, CISSA and CDPSE. She'll tell you, however, her life's work is removing barriers that keep future generations from believing they can achieve those titles as well. (We'll save you the google search of all those certifications: Digital Communication Specialist (DCS), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Systems Information Auditor (CISA) and Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE).)

"I am a champion for students, especially women of color, to pursue careers in cybersecurity and technology," she says. "Our students can't dream what they can't see."

A business information security officer with T-Mobile based in Overland Park, Kan., she is also a member of T-Mobile's Technology Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. And she serves as the president and founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://winsmentors.org/">Women in Security Mentors</a>, an organization that advocates for women and minorities to pursue careers in technology and in cybersecurity.

In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/drcherylcooper">Dr. Cooper</a>&nbsp;led all-girls cybersecurity and technology career fests at T-Mobile’s headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., and Overland Park, Kan., welcoming a combined 265 students whom she says are underrepresented in the field and lack proper mentors.&nbsp;

“There are&nbsp;<a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/the-cybersecurity-industry-is-short-3-4-million-workers-thats-good-news-for-cyber-wages/">more than 3 million</a>&nbsp;unfilled cybersecurity jobs today, yet I found that minority representation is in single digits in the field,” Dr. Cooper says. “Only 9% of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/09/30/minorities-and-the-cybersecurity-skills-gap/?sh=62e0028a7f3f">cybersecurity jobs</a>&nbsp;are held by black employees, with 24% of the jobs held by women. There are so many career paths in this field, not just coding, that I don’t think all our students are being introduced to. That’s where I come in.”

On Feb. 23, she is leading another all-girls cybersecurity and technology career event, this time at one of the company’s store locations in Frisco, Texas. The fact that it falls within Black History Month is not lost on her.

"These events are to support building the next generation of a diverse pipeline in technology and cybersecurity, and to support closing the race and gender gap," she says. "Black History Month provides an opportunity to showcase the Black culture, contributions of Black people, and an opportunity to be of service to Black communities. We must show people of color, and especially our girls, visual opportunities so that they can see themselves in the world."

Dr. Cooper says she sees how T-Mobile is building a workforce of the future, by advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and beyond so as to reflect the communities the company serves.

Since 2021, T-Mobile has invested over&nbsp;<a href="http://mobile.com/brand/celebrating-diversity/black-history">$3 million in HBCUs</a>, and Dr. Cooper’s efforts to introduce technology opportunities to minority youth, specifically female minorities, resonates powerfully with T-Mobile’s company values and its enterprise competency framework known as the "Values in Action,” one of which is creating affordable access for the next generation.&nbsp;The company has&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/project-10million-fall2022-update">continuously expressed</a>&nbsp;its commitment to help close the digital divide and provide affordable access to connectivity, so everyone has the opportunity to succeed.&nbsp;That devotion to equal opportunities is another reason Dr. Cooper is also working to launch a T-Mobile Cybersecurity Internship Program this year.&nbsp;

"It's a paid internship for high school juniors and seniors that creates a career path in cybersecurity and provides certification while they're studying in college," she says. "Isn't that amazing?! At the age of 20, you have the opportunity to have a certification, a two-year degree and four years of experience under your belt."

Dr. Cooper plans to do even more. We asked her to talk about her tireless work and to share her story as an influential Black woman in wireless technology.

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How would you describe your journey into the technology field?

My journey into technology is not the traditional path. I grew up in the inner city of Kansas City and I wanted more opportunities, so I turned to the military and enlisted in the United States Navy. I went in as a radioman technical controller, responsible for troubleshooting telecommunication systems and changing out cryptographic keys. I learned so much, but when I returned to civilian life, I was surprised to see the lack of women and Blacks in technology. As I continued my career in technology, I saw racism, both unconscious and conscious bias, as well as a gender gap with women in STEM, specifically technology. This became even more apparent when I started going to industry conferences and didn't see people who look like me. That's what got me on my path to say, "I've gotta do something about this. I've got to be a changemaker. I've got to work on closing this race and this gender gap." It's been a passion of mine for a decade.

Tell us about the Cybersecurity and Technology Career Fests for high school students you've led on T-Mobile's campuses. And why do you think it's significant that your upcoming event falls during Black History Month?

For the last decade, I’ve been committed to doing what I can to close the race and gender gap in this cybersecurity and technology field because I know it holds so much opportunity for aspiring youth. Most companies have a recruitment strategy for cybersecurity roles. But what I found is that unless we incite our youth to pursue careers in technology and cybersecurity, we’re not likely to find them. That’s why I started the&nbsp;<a href="https://winsmentors.org/">Women in Security Mentors Organization</a>, an organization that introduces women and minorities in underserved communities to the cybersecurity field. Many of the high schools in the communities we have focused on are not introducing the students to these amazing and rewarding careers, especially when you look at Title I schools and inner-city schools. I pitched a paid high school internship program where juniors and seniors create a career path in tech and study for certification. I also talked with my senior leadership team about minority youth, especially female minorities, who aren’t aware of the types of jobs available in cybersecurity. I said we need to show that opportunities aren’t limited to coding. We have to show them that there are people who look like them currently working in roles like mine. That’s how I came to create our first career fests, which brought hundreds of female students to the T-Mobile campuses. And, next up, I’m on my way to Frisco, Texas, where we plan to welcome another hundred girls. We’re going to close that gap by introducing the students to these career fields and the opportunities they can visualize themselves in. We took a poll, and 97% of the students who attended our Bellevue career fest last year said they felt more hopeful about the future. Another 80% said they’d now consider STEM careers.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Black History Month is important and especially so to me because we have started to say it’s not just Black people’s history, it’s America’s history. It provides an opportunity to honor the sacrifices that have been made for racial, social and economic equality, and what we are doing to close the gaps. Black History Month is an opportunity for us to learn where we came from and evaluate where we’re going. A lot of people don’t even know the significance that Black people played in fields like technology. More people know about the contribution of Black women in space exploration, women like Katherine Johnson, thanks to the movie Hidden Figures, but there’s so much more to learn. It’s an opportunity for not just the Black community, but for all people to pause and learn about a people’s contributions to our society overall.

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Check out footage below from the Career Fests in Overland Park, Kan., and Bellevue, Wash.&nbsp;

A T-Mobile technology expert is showing high school students what the next generation of tech leaders can look like.

Employee Spotlight: A Champion for the Next Generation of Tech Leaders - T-Mobile Newsroom

When you thank Jamie Weare for his service you might notice he doesn't say the words "Thank You." Instead, he uses a universal language by signing the phrase with his hands. It's a visceral response to your gratitude, even if, as Jamie admits, you're most likely unaware of the specific sacrifices he's made.&nbsp;

"When I got into the civilian world, I felt people didn't really grasp it at the time," explains the T-Mobile interim coach at the Menaul Call Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "They understood something happened and there's a lot of 'sorry for your loss' and 'thank you for your service,' but to understand what that really means I think you have to have a loved one who served or have served yourself."

What happened to Jamie after joining the Infantry in 2001 is not just a memory you neatly tuck away and move on from. It's a part of who he is, and it's also the part of him he suddenly felt he needed to hide when he began his journey back into civilian life.&nbsp;

'It's become easier to talk about the accident," says Jamie. "It's the 20th anniversary this year. On March 29th 2002 I was involved in a training accident where a 120 mortar round misfired and basically exploded inside the tube. As a result of that accident three of my brothers in the vehicle with me that night never left Fort Irwin in Barstow, California."

Jamie says he recuperated at the VA for almost 3 months, but emotionally he knew he also had to learn to cope. He remained in the army until 2004 partly because of opportunities he still wanted to accomplish and also because admittedly there was comfort in being surrounded with people who had similar experiences and understood his struggles.&nbsp;

"Returning to civilian life was a challenge," he says in reference to the mental health effects of his experience. "I had several jobs along the way and I felt like a lot of what came with me as a veteran is just swept under the rug and the only job that understood who I was and encouraged me to have an open dialogue about it and participate in different events to help others who have post-traumatic stress disorder was T-Mobile."

When he applied for a job with T-Mobile after another telecommunication company he worked for closed its store during the pandemic, Jamie says he was unaware that the company was designated by Military Friendly® as a top Military Friendly Employer and Military Spouse Friendly employer, or that T-Mobile had made a&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/responsibility/community/military">commitment</a>&nbsp;to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2023 (the company is about 84% there!).&nbsp; But, he says from the first day he stepped into his new role it was apparent what kind of support he was going to receive. The real kind.

"It's not a publicity stunt," he says with a smile when asked if he feels truly appreciated for his service at work. "T-Mobile doesn't just say thank you, they honor you for the whole person you are. The skills I learned in the Army have made me flexible and translate well at work. T-Mobile has given me opportunities to use those skills in several different areas: I have been in closed loop, an interim associate trainer, and now an interim coach!"

Jamie says beyond being invited to NYC in 2021 to participate in the Veterans Day Parade and being connected with other veterans and supporters through T-Mobile’s more than 11,000 member strong Veterans & Allies Employee Resource Group, he also was able to take advantage of health benefits that catered towards goals of managing his PTSD.&nbsp;

"T-Mobile has an amazing benefit that gives you 10 free counseling sessions to help you try different counselors to see what works for you," says Jamie, "and that's what I was able to do. My PTSD is so much more manageable now, even without the need for medication."

Aware of the&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/mobile-mindfulness-the-future-of-mental-health">staggering statistic</a>&nbsp;regarding how many U.S. veterans continue to report having developed a mental health condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, the company has tailored elements of its wellbeing resource&nbsp;<a href="https://www.livemagenta.com/">LiveMagenta</a>&nbsp;for its veteran employees requiring support.&nbsp;

Jamie says he also has made use of the company's childcare subsidy for his family and the tuition reimbursement program to attend The University of Arizona Global Campus to continue his higher education free of charge. He says when he first found a job opening at the T-Mobile call center, he had no idea about the company's commitment to veterans and veteran family employment. But he says since the moment he applied for a position and reported his veteran status, he has seen for himself the investments being made to the military community.&nbsp;

Jamie says he is proud that T-Mobile continues a presence at hundreds of job fairs and Veterans Affairs offices across the country and also partners with not-for- profit organizations such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hiringourheroes.org/">Hiring our Heroes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fourblock.org/">FourBlock</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.warriors4wireless.org/">Warriors4Wireless</a>&nbsp;to help fund career readiness programs and community support initiatives.&nbsp;

He says he was excited to hear that the company also expanded its successful&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/returnship-helps-veterans-reenter-workforce">TechX Returnship Program</a>&nbsp;to include veterans. TechX Returnship is a partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reachire.com/">reacHIRE</a>&nbsp;that helps facilitate paths to leadership roles for women—and now veterans— returning to the workforce in technology roles. The program provides opportunities to those with tech-centric resumes who’ve taken a long professional career break to care for family members, raise children, or to serve in the military.

"There are so many resources," says Jamie. "I feel in my experiences there have been a lot of companies that don't want to talk about the realities of serving and would rather hide behind the guise of 'Thank you for your service.' But T-Mobile really is there with impactful support for veterans."

Jamie's vulnerability about the challenges he's faced is as disarming as his positivity. He's the personification of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps. An indelible force of human spirit. And this year, Jamie received the company's PEAK Achievement Award, the pinnacle of recognition at T-Mobile, which goes to the top 3% employees who are nominated by leadership and peers for being outstanding in job performance and company values. Winners and their plus-one are treated to an all-expenses-paid trip to Maui to celebrate alongside the company's senior leadership team, including CEO Mike Sievert. 

"Going to PEAK was an amazing experience," says Jamie. "Just a week of love and celebration and meeting with senior leadership to hear directly from them how we're making an impact on the business. Words can't express my true feelings when I try to explain why I am so happy to be working for T-Mobile," says Jamie. "It gave me back so many things I had lost."&nbsp;

To learn more about T-Mobile’s employment initiatives, plan discounts, and ongoing community investments and support for servicemembers and their families, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/responsibility/community/military">T-Mobile Military Landing Page</a>.

As T-Mobile renews its commitment to hiring 10,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2023, one veteran employee shares his personal story.

Veterans Day Employee Spotlight: Saying Thank You For Your Service

Veterans Day Employee Spotlight: Saying Thank You For Your Service. - T-Mobile Newsroom

A program focused on digital literacy and safety for students in Hispanic communities has expanded across the country as it enters its third year. Current high school participants say it's been a rewarding opportunity.&nbsp;

“I’m interested in computer science,” says Elizabeth Rodriguez, a senior at North Side High School in Houston and current&nbsp;<a href="https://lulac.org/conexiones/">Conexiones</a>&nbsp;participant, “and this program for the community is amazing because sadly my mother and family never had this opportunity. I know they’re grateful I get to study this subject and I hope my younger nephews and future generations get the chance as well.”

Created by&nbsp;<a href="https://lulac.org/">The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)</a>, the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S., the grassroot STEM program aimed at students ages 14 to 18 has been expanding with the support of T-Mobile as part of the Un-carrier’s&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/equity-in-action">Equity In Action plan</a>. The Conexiones curriculum is meant to educate youth on digital privacy and security, identifying misinformation, combatting cyberbullying and building positive relationships online. To date, LULAC’s program has had 231 participants.

“At the end of last year’s cycle, 51.8% of participants said they were interested in pursuing a career in the STEM field while 96% said they were more interested in continuing to learn about internet safety,” says Priscilla Garcia, LULAC’s empowerment and education program coordinator.

With a pilot program in just two sites back in 2019, Conexiones is currently running programs at six sites in Texas, Virginia, California and Washington D.C.

This Hispanic HeritageMonth, we learn more about a digital literacy program created by LULAC that continues to grow with T-Mobile’s help.

The Conexiones Program Helps Latino Students Navigate the Digital World - T-Mobile Newsroom

When Susan Jolly was 19, she was in a car accident that resulted in an incomplete Cervical 4/5 spinal cord injury (SCI) that left her quadriplegic. There is no way she can convey what transitioning to her new life was like. So, she doesn't try. Susan simply says she is grateful for influences of others that made her resilient.&nbsp;

"I was very goal driven even as a young child thanks to people in my life," says the Senior Manager in the Product and Technology Department at T-Mobile. "I started setting goals for myself even at 7 years old, like that I was going to be a professional woman working alongside men in corporate America. That dream has come true."

Susan thinks big picture in most anything you discuss in her life, and her decisions all read like steppingstones to large scale pursuits. She's a woman who has overcome incredible obstacles to achieve professional goals such as graduate with her MBA and have a successful career in technology as well as personal ones to become a mother, of a now 27-year-old son, even after sustaining her injury. A staunch believer in the value of financial independence for people with disabilities, it's no surprise that her very first job after her life was turned upside down was as an advocate at the Independent Living Center in Los Angeles.&nbsp;

"It was my first job after my accident" she says, "and where I learned to live my life with my disability. Getting people meaningful employment where they can independently provide for themselves is the best gift you can give a person with a disability. Period."&nbsp;

This National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Susan is sharing her story to highlight the important Equity In Action efforts that T-Mobile has accomplished and is committed to continue in the space of accessibility, as well as regards to hiring initiatives within the disability community at large.

“I’ve been helping with a Diversity and Inclusion pilot here at T-Mobile,” she explains, regarding the company’s most recent partnership with organizations like the American Association of People with Disabilities to provide paid summer internships for those who qualify (you can read one such intern’s story on our&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/gaad2022">Newsroom</a>).

"It's taught us a lot of what's working and what we need to work on," says Susan. We want people to become employed at T-Mobile but I don't see a lot of people like me, in part because it's not an easy path to get here. I'm a persistent person and I don't give up so the best thing I can do is help blaze a trail and show others the way."

It’s that sort of persistence that has led to T-Mobile’s latest accolades within the space of disability advocacy and accessibility awareness. With the former disability advisor at the White House during the Obama administration,&nbsp;<a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/disability-awareness-claudia-gordon">Claudia Gordon</a>, at the helm as a Senior Accessibility Partner, the company has been full-steam ahead with its Equity In Action plan as part of its larger Diversity, Equity and Inclusion actions.&nbsp;

“At T-Mobile, disability inclusion and accessibility are essential part of our company culture and brand’s promise,” says Claudia. “We are proud to be recognized by&nbsp;<a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpulse%2Finclusion-powers-our-culture-deeanne-king%2F%3FtrackingId%3DsyDo7oS9S3ijXKpSauRjbA%253D%253D&data=05%7C01%7CMolly.Byerly1%40T-Mobile.com%7C1983992331de43b15eeb08da808cbd8f%7Cbe0f980bdd994b19bd7bbc71a09b026c%7C0%7C0%7C637963639211609187%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=160DZRkgS5MCyHtJRNykyZWQPtNkqJMInSWohwDYtrw%3D&reserved=0">Disability:IN as the Employer of the Year</a>&nbsp;and as <a href="http://NOD.org/seal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022 Leading Disability Employer by the National Organization on Disability</a> (NOD). These honors reflect the work of employees like Susan Jolly across the company who bring our culture of “Be You” to life every day at the Un-carrier.”

And Susan says the continuous examination of what it means to each person to have a reliable system of equitable accessibility is necessary.