Paulette Maria Penzvalto (she/her)
Paulette Penzvalto is a Program Manager in Corporate Engineering at Google. She is passionate about Diversity and Inclusion, as she leads Autism Employee Resource Groups at Google and is active in the Google Disability Alliance. Paulette presents internationally as a keynote speaker on issues pertaining to Autism and Employment in tech and previously served of the San Francisco Mayor’s Council for People with Disabilities.
Paulette studied Computer Science at Columbia University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Liberal Arts with a focus on Neuroscience at Stanford, where she is also a research assistant in the department of neuroscience and lead on the Stanford Neurodiversity Program.
In addition to her work in the sciences, Paulette has two graduate degrees in Opera. This past season performed a main stage role at Opera San Jose and sang on the album “Kirtan Lounge: Precious Jewels”, which was nominated for 6 Grammy Awards, including best foreign Language Album.
What’s something you’re really proud of?
I am proud of my bachelor’s degree, which I obtained while working full-time at Google.
What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you handle it?
I have a severe learning disability. In school, I took a proactive approach to overcoming the challenges of my disability by asking for accommodations when I needed them, by using assistive technologies such as LiveScribe Pens/screen readers, and by attending office hours regularly to get the additional support that I needed.
What are your thoughts as we enter National Autism Acceptance Month?