One of the coolest things about working for a software development company is definitely the people…from millennials to not-so-millennial, men, women, introverts, extroverts – software companies have an eclectic population and Computronix is no different. Known as Computroids, the people who work here are what make this place interesting, fun and exciting. For our #Womenintech posts, we wanted to get to know the women at Computronix better by asking how they became interested in STEM, what they do, and what advice they’d give to their 13 year-old-selves. Let’s hear from Heather McEwan, Operations Manager at Computronix.
1 | What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?
A teacher… my Mom was an elementary school teacher and my Dad worked in education, so I lived it every day!
2 | What was your favorite subject in school?
English and Chemistry
3 | When did you first become interested in technology?
I started becoming intrigued by it when I was in University, as computers were becoming an important part of my school work. I still remember the first successful programming I did when I started studying at NAIT… when that program successfully completed you would have thought I’d landed on the moon I was so excited – what a rush!
4 | How do you stay up to date with all of the different tools and advancements taking place?
Most recently was Jim den Otter’s eye-opening (and slightly terrifying!) Tech Rant at our AGM in January. I stay up to date through reading articles and talking to techs with a passion for their subject matter (they’re always the most fun to learn from!).
5 | What’s your favorite tech that’s out right now?
I am fascinated by the Smart Home technologies and intrigued to see how far this will go in the next few years.
6 | What advice would you give to young girls who are interested in STEM? What about to those who are not?
For those who are and aren’t interested in STEM, my message is the same – pursue your passion! It is so much fun to challenge yourself and grow in an area that excites you.
For those who are interested in it, technology is always changing and so you will be able to continue to learn for a lifetime. You will meet shockingly intelligent people who see the world the same way you do, or even better, see it differently than you do – and you’ll learn so much from them too! Just be open to the experiences and you never know where you may end up. For me, being in STEM gave me the opportunity to do all the things I love to do – working with people, helping to solve problems and learning every day.
