Areeg Emarah

Software Engineer at Cisco Systems, Inc. Beacon Scholar who graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 2021.

Areeg Emarah was a Beacon Scholar who graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in June 2021. She 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.

In 2021, she received the Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Award for her access initiatives and student activism and 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. During her involvement with the MWA, the movement grew to a community of over 400 strong, raising £110,000 for the Against Malaria Foundation in 2020.

Areeg also co-founded the Cambridge University Women in Engineering Society, where she 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 Cambridge applicants and has been involved in the Students’ Union Shadowing Scheme, Target Oxbridge, and the Islamic Society of Cambridge.

Areeg is now working as a Software Engineer at Cisco Systems, Inc. In her free time, she continues to mentor current university students, goes on runs and meets up with friends.