Hello, my name is:

Michelle Darling

Mountain View High SchoolCollege Awareness Day | October 2014

● M.O.M. to a 9th grader and a 3rd grader. ● MVHS Tutor - available Mondays at Tutorial Center.● Massage Therapist @ Google, Yahoo!, etc.● Tech Manager, Trainer, Database Developer.● World traveller (14 countries so far...)

○ ASIA: Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia○ LAT AM: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico○ EUROPE: UK, France, Belgium

About Me (mdarlingcmt@gmail.com)

● 1984 - Freehold High School, NJ● 1988 - Rutgers University,

Bachelor’s in Computer Science.

● 1994 - Rutgers University Master’s in Communication and Info Science.

● 2004 - West Valley College, Certificate in Massage Therapy.

● 2014 - UCSC Extension Certificate in Database and Data Analytics.

My Educational Journey

● Philippines:○ Girl’s Catholic High School.○ Interests: Writing, World Lit.

● Freehold, NJ○ US Coed high school = culture shock!○ Interests: Computer Science, Writing.

HIGH SCHOOL

Why Douglass at Rutgers?● 4 year state school = affordable tuition.● Close to home (but not too close).● Small college within a big university.● Extra support for female students:

○ STEM Internships.○ PT job as Computer Center Manager.○ Female-only dorms (but co-ed classes).

COLLEGE: Douglass College, Rutgers University

Why Computer Science (not Journalism)?● I LIKED it.● I was GOOD at it (with extra effort).● It would lead to a rewarding job.● Opportunity to change the world by working in a

male-dominated field.

COLLEGE: Bachelor’s in Computer Science

GRADUATE SCHOOL: Master’s in CIS

Why go to grad school?● I LIKED it, and I was GOOD at it.● My employer was paying for it.● It made me a better employee.● It opened up new job opportunities!

CERTIFICATE: West Valley College Massage Therapy

Why Massage Therapy?● I LOVE it, and I’m VERY

GOOD at it!● Family-friendly career.● Rewarding PT job.● Opportunity to make a

positive difference in people’s lives.

Why West Valley College?● Community college =

affordable tuition.● Childcare availability.● Just right: size,

commute, balance between school & family.

CERTIFICATE:UCSC Extension Data Analytics

Why go back to school?● I LOVE it and I’m VERY

GOOD at it!● Update skills to get a

rewarding FT job.● Inspire my kids to be

life-long learners.● Opportunity to change

the world by helping to tame “Big Data.”

Ask yourself:● Do I love (or at least like) it?● Am I good at it?● What do I need to get there?● Will it be rewarding enough?● Do I have the opportunity to

change the world or help others?● Is the fit “just right”?

Enjoy your journey!P.S. The journey never ends.

At each step on YOUR journey...