Editor’s Note: Every Comet follows a distinct path to UT Dallas, and members of the Class of 2019 are no exception. As the only girl in her high school computer science class, Sruthi Chappidi BS’14, MS’16 felt like she didn’t belong. After taking several computer science courses, Chappidi chose to earn a master’s degree and a PhD in software engineering from the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. Chappidi said she hopes her unexpected path will show other women that they, too, can have a place in computer science. Fewer than 19% of bachelor’s degrees in computer science are awarded to women, according to the National Science Foundation.