Her name is Shyanne, but she’ll answer to Shy, Shimi, or Mimi — or, of course, her Twitch handle @Shyshimi. She calls herself a “loud mess with some pretty silly facial expressions,” but she also has a big heart for her community. The BroadcastHER Grant winner is currently studying to get her bachelor’s degree in computer science with a concentration in software engineering — and she’s hyped about it.

What is your dream as a digital broadcaster?

My dream is to reach a point where my platform is seen by many, so I can more broadly share my content and mission.

How will the BroadcastHER Grant from the 1,000 Dreams Fund help you reach your goals?

The grant will help me obtain a piece of equipment to finish my setup and also help me travel to TwitchCon to hopefully secure additional opportunities for me and my community

What does being the recipient of the BroadcastHER Grant mean to you?

When I thought I was invisible, people were actually looking at me, my content, and everything I’ve done so far. 1DF’s belief in me has been a blessing and has opened my eyes.

Women are underrepresented in gaming, broadcasting, and e-sports. What can we do to change this?

We should encourage more women to take on roles in these areas while also continuing to work on emphasizing equality in these careers.

What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way?

Constantly staying motivated to keep doing what I do can be challenging. I have struggled with having a positive attitude every day, but I’ve learned that there are good days and there are bad days — and I’m working on accepting that.

What advice do you have for women who want to start broadcasting?

Ultimately, we just need to press the ‘go live’ button. We are fortunate enough to have expanded the broadcasting platform in many categories so far for women, but we have more to do. Up-and-coming streamers shouldn’t wait until they have all their fancy pieces and parts for a computer; just use what’s available now and start. Upgrade later! This will help us build more community now.

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?

Every day, I remember that there is somewhere I want to be in this community and I envision the path forward. Every day that I don’t do what I’m supposed to do is a day wasting by. I tell myself that if I want to be able to do all these things and meet all these people, I need to sit down and I need to get to work because it won’t do it on its own.