I/Own It - Optimizely x Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive Scholarships and Internships

Start Owning Your Future

With a full scholarship to Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive and a paid internship at Optimizely, you could have the opportunity to Own It.

APPLICATIONS FOR 2020-2021 ARE NOW CLOSED

Interested in applying in the future? Sign up and we'll email you the next time we run I/Own It.

Wish you could code full-time and get paid for it, but never developed the skills?

Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive and Optimizely are offering four full-tuition scholarships and engineering internships to individuals who are underrepresented in the tech community. You'll take part in the 12-week Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive bootcamp in San Francisco or Austin starting in January 2021, be paired with an Optimizely mentor, Od start a three-month paid internship at Optimizely after you graduate in mid April 2021.

Apply to I/Own It

Build your skills at Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive's 12-week bootcamp

Intern at Optimizely

Join the team and take on projects with real customer impact

Launch your New Career

Explore full-time opportunities with Optimizely to build your career

Who is this opportunity for?

We believe in increasing diversity and inclusion in the tech community. If you think you have a perspective or background that is not well represented in the tech community, we encourage you to apply.

You're eligible for the sponsorship if you:

  • identify as a woman; and/or
  • are part of the LGBTQ community; and/or
  • come from one of the following racial backgrounds: Black or African-American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Middle Eastern/North African, Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander; and/or
  • are part of the disability community; and/or
  • are a veteran.



What does the sponsorship include?

  1. Full tuition to Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive
    (San Francisco or Austin location)
  2. Living stipend while at Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive
    ($1500 per month)
  3. Three-month paid internship at Optimizely after graduation
  4. Access to Optimizely mentors

Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive Alumni work at Optimizely in a wide variety of engineering roles, including:

Lauren Pappone

Client Engineer
Watch Her Story

Read our Q&A with Lauren.

Acacia Pappas

Frontend Engineer
2018 I/Own It Recipient

Read Acacia's blog post.

Kelly Walker

Frontend Engineer
Watch Her Story

Read our Q&A with Kelly.

Jess Chong

Web Delivery Engineer
2015 I/Own It Recipient

Read our Q&A with Jess.

Briceida Mariscal

Backend Engineer
2017 I/Own It Recipient

Read Brie's blog post about how I/Own It changed her life.

Mandy Trinh

Backend Engineer
2018 I/Own It Recipient

Ryan Yee

Full Stack Engineer

Polina Nguen

Fullstack Engineer
2019 I/Own It Recipient

Your Name Goes Here

Holding your spot!

How do I apply?

  1. Fill out the application form below. Read the Hack Reactor Scholarship Guidelines to set yourself up for success.
  2. Pass the Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive Technical Interview by October 26, 2020.
  3. We will contact you for an interview if you are shortlisted for the sponsorship.

2020 I/Own It Program Dates and Deadlines:

September 8, 2020 I/Own It Online Application Opens
October 26th, 2020 Scholarship application closees
October 26th, 2020 Last Day to interview with Hack Reactor
Early November, 2020 Video Interview with Optimizely
November, 18th 2020 Sponsorship Recipients Notified
January 19, 2021 Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive Starts
Mid April, 2021 Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive Ends
Late April, 2021 Internship at Optimizely Starts

Questions?
We have answers.

Show all answers

When would I start Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive?

You would be starting with the January 2021 cohort, with a April 2021 graduation.

Do I have to apply to both Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive and the Optimizely sponsorship?

Yes, being accepted into Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive is required to be eligible for the Optimizely sponsorship.

I haven't done my Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive technical interview yet. Can I still apply for the Optimizely sponsorship?

Yes, you can apply for the sponsorship, but we do require you to have been accepted to Hack Reactor Software Engineering Immersive (i.e. passed your Hack Reactor Software Engineering Immersive technical interview) by October 26, 2020. The application on this site will close on October 26, 2020. We encourage you to plan ahead so that you have enough time to apply to Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive and prepare for and pass the technical interview by October 26, 2020.

We encourage you to submit your application as early as possible as Hack Reactor Software Engineering Immersive spaces are limited.

I have zero experience with computer programming, can I still apply?

Yes! Please note that you'll need to get into Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive to be eligible for the sponsorship, which means you'll need to get up to speed on enough JavaScript fundamentals to get into Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive and finish the coursework.

By the time you are finished with Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive's curriculum, you'll be well equipped to begin your career as a software engineer.

I'm not a US citizen. Am I eligible for the scholarship?

If you are authorized to work in the United States, you are eligible for the scholarship.

What groups does Optimizely consider underrepresented in technology?

You're eligible for the sponsorship if you:

  • identify as a woman; and/or
  • are part of the LGBTQ community; and/or
  • come from one of the following racial backgrounds: Black or African-American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Middle Eastern/North African, Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander; and/or
  • are part of the disability community; and/or
  • are a veteran.

How will you decide who to give the scholarship and internship to?

We are looking for people who are curious, passionate, and proactive, and for whom the sponsorship will have a big impact. Please refer to the Scholarship Guidelines for more details.

Can I also apply for other Hack Reactor Engineering Immersive scholarships?

Yes! As with all opportunities, we encourage you to cast a wide net.

What kind of person will be successful at Optimizely?

We look for people who embody Optimizely’s OPTIFY values: Ownership, Passion, Trust, Integrity, Fearlessness, and transparencY.

What's it like to work at Optimizely?

Check out our Engineering Blog for insights from Optimizely engineers, including Hack Reactor alums Jessica, Kelly, and Lauren!

What kind of Diversity & Inclusion work does Optimizely do?

Optimizely supports a variety of initiatives both inside the company and in the tech community at large. On-going initiatives inside Optimizely include our mentorship program, the diversity & inclusion reading group, and our company communities: OptimizeLadies, Out at Optimizely, Parents@, and the Diversity & Inclusion Group. We also host Girl Geek Dinners, panels aimed at furthering the discussion of diversity and inclusivity in the tech community, and actively participate in the Lesbians Who Tech and Grace Hopper conferences every year.

Do you have more questions?


Read more FAQs here. Email us at [email protected] for any questions not addressed in our FAQ.

PRO TIP: Read the Hack Reactor Scholarship Guidelines to learn everything you need to know so you can do well on your application.

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