Areeg Ashraf Emarah

Areeg largeAttended Trinity College, Cambridge, UK and graduated in 2021. Areeg, from Kenya, was awarded a Beacon Scholarship for University in May 2017. She now works as a Software Engineer at Cisco Systems where she writes software that runs on industrial-scale routers, to run the internet.

Areeg studied towards an MEng in Information and Computer Engineering, achieving a Distinction for her Master’s project on image compression and graduating with a Merit overall. During her studies, she interned with companies such as Vivacity Labs and Spectral Edge.

In 2021, Areeg received the Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Award for her access initiatives and student activism. She was part of the founding committee of May Week Alternative (MWA), a student-led charity initiative that places giving at the heart of May Week celebrations in Cambridge. Over her three years of involvement with the MWA, the movement grew to a community of over 400 strong, raising £110,000 for the Against Malaria Foundation in 2020.

Co-founding the Cambridge University Women in Engineering Society, Areeg helped create an inclusive and empowering space for women in her field. As Cambridge University Engineering Society’s first Access Officer, Areeg organised their inaugural Access Day, hosting 50 students from backgrounds under-represented at Cambridge. She also mentored young African undergraduate applicants and has been involved in the Students’ Union Shadowing Scheme, Target Oxbridge, and the Islamic Society of Cambridge.

Throughout her degree, Areeg has documented the beauty of Cambridge via photography and her Instagram @the_afro_arab. Her photographs have been featured on university social media.