Celebrating Women in Technology – Traci Whipkey
Posted on September 28, 2020 by Keith Lynn
Finding a Rewarding Career in Computing
“To be honest, I never imagined I would have a career in computing. All I knew is that after my brother was killed, I wanted to pursue a degree that could help me achieve a career that assisted in bringing justice to victims. During a trip to the USA Career Fair, the School of Computing informed me about the digital forensics program, and I decided to give it a try. It was one of the hardest and most rewarding choices I have ever made.
I am now living my dream as the FileMaker Programmer of the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office where I program and maintain our internal database that handles all of our criminal cases. I may not be a prosecutor, but every employee at the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office has a role that helps our office bring justice to all the victims of Mobile County, and I am just happy to be a part of that.”
Favorite Class/Favorite Instructor
“This is a very hard question because I had so many great instructors during my time at the USA School of Computing. So hard, that I cannot limit my favorite instructor to just one. I have two instructors that stand out the most. They are Dr. Michael Black and Dr. Harold Pardue. Prior to my entry into the University of South Alabama’s School of Computing, I had never even thought about a career in computing. If it was not for the Forensics program, I may not have ever had an interest at all to even try computing. Since I did not have any previous interest or experience in computing, I struggled more than most when it came to learning anything regarding technology. These two had so much patience and took the time to sit with me until I finally understood the task at hand. If it had not been for them, I may have given up and missed out on this opportunity to find my dream occupation.”
Encouraging Words
“If anyone is thinking of a career in computing, I would tell you to go for it, give it your all, and never give up. The career possibilities in computing are endless. You could be a programmer, an IT specialist, a teacher, and anything else you want to do that involves a computer. You would never have to worry about finding employment because computers have taken over the world and companies are always seeking out computing graduates.
There will be times where you might be discouraged, because unlike other majors or careers, computing has no timeline. You could fix an issue in 5 minutes or you could be working on it for days.
You might even be interested, but nervous, to start an education in computing because you do not know much about computers at this time. That’s okay! Go for it, give it your all, and never give up! I never considered a degree in computing prior to stepping on USA’s campus and I even cried every day my first semester because I was so lost. However, the incredible faculty at USA’s School of Computing had enough patience to work with me and teach me everything I know today. The School of Computing will give you all the tools you need to reach your career dreams like they did for me.”