We welcomed Sylleste Davis as our first speaker of the year!
- She is now retired, but had worked at Santee Cooper previously
- Alum of C of C from 1983
- Her interest in Computer Science
- Liked analytical things
- Grace Hopper was one of her Heros as one of the first women in computing
- Majored in Math, took some computer science classes – in COBOL
- She liked computer science, but not the classes
- In class she felt like the things they were doing didn’t really matter
- Her senior year, Santee Cooper came on campus and she started working there
- Was worried that she wouldn’t like her job because she didn’t like the classes
- Liked it though and was happy because she felt like what she was doing mattered
- Later, she went back to school and earned her masters
- Was in IT from the 1980s through 2000
- Wanted to know about what was happening in the future
- History is important to see how the things in the past lead to what we will have in the future
- Was able to see the first business email systems, some of the first security issues, the integration of voice and data
- Liked computer science because it was like a big puzzle
- Lessons learned
- IT is interesting
- Constantly Changing
- Always better/different way
- Meaningful
- Lucrative
- Her thoughts on how to increase the number of women in tech
- Start exposure to computer science in middle schools
- Do a better job integrating CS into high school curriculum
- Make AP Computer Science more widely available
- Make available more scholarships and internships
- Stop “dumbing down” and perpetuating the stereotypes – this is just not necessary
- Don’t let someone else define who you are – go with your gifts, your intuition, and be courageous
- Don’t let tedium get in the way of doing something meaningful
- Don’t pay attention to what those around you are doing or how they look – stay your course and remain confident in your abilities
- The future of IT is exciting! Be in the middle of it!