Suzanna Khatchatrian — senior director of the Data Engineering team at Slack, a Salesforce company — is a supporter of the AUA Scholarship Program through the establishment of the AIWA San Francisco: Suzanna Khatchatrian Scholarship.
As a female professional in the technology industry, Suzanna has extensive experience and knowledge in the field and knows firsthand the importance of creating opportunities for women that will enable them to pursue goals extending beyond basic entry. She believes that supporting women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is essential for achieving diversity of perspectives, promoting gender parity, driving economic growth, inspiring future generations, and addressing global challenges. “It is an investment in a brighter future for all. Women bring a unique perspective to STEM that can help drive innovation and progress. By supporting women in these fields, we can ensure that diverse perspectives are represented, which can lead to better solutions to complex problems,” she expounds.
Khatchatrian holds a B.S. in computer science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and an M.S. in software engineering from Carnegie Mellon. In her current role, she is responsible for running Slack’s data warehouse, advanced analytics dashboards, and other data services. Prior to that, Suzanna built a brand new engineering team within Product Security focused on proactive security measurements by delivering secure-by-default libraries and services for Slack. With her scholarship support to AUA, she chose to specifically target women studying computer science and was able to get her company to match her donation.
As one of the founding members of the Armenian International Women's Association (AIWA) San Francisco (SF) affiliate, Suzanna currently serves on the AIWA SF board, where she is leading the scholarship committee and internship programs. Having seen direct results and success with the organization’s scholarship for AUA, she decided to also personally contribute to the cause. “For any nation, a strong foundation in higher education is key for a country's prosperity and success. AUA is a leading educational institution in Armenia, and its students have the potential to play a vital role in the country’s development by bringing new ideas, building skills, engaging with the community, and serving as ambassadors for the country,” she says
AUA students with AIWA SF Executive Team Members
Khatchatrian believes that supporting scholarship opportunities for AUA students is an investment toward Armenia’s future and a way to promote access to education, create opportunities, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. She adds that it can open doors for internships, research projects, and other experiential learning opportunities. “These experiences can help students build the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers and further contribute to Armenia's development,” Khatchatrian adds, in hopes that others will be inspired to also get involved and similarly express their support.
For her contribution, Khatchatrian utilized her company’s gift matching program to double her impact. “Salesforce is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) software company committed to giving back to the community through its philanthropic efforts,” she explains. “One of the ways that Salesforce supports charitable organizations is through its corporate gift-matching program, which allows employees to donate to eligible organizations and have their donation matched by the company. This is a simple and straightforward process designed to make it easier for employees to support their favorite charitable organizations.”
Khatchatrian encourages other professionals to inquire if their companies offer similar programs so that they, too, can join in supporting women in the computer science program at AUA. “When women are successful in STEM, they serve as role models for future generations,” she states. “By supporting them, we can help inspire and empower the next generation of women to pursue careers in these fields.”