Olivia
My Background
Working in the restaurant industry, I decided I wanted a career related to food. I worked with a local farm, analyzing some of their harvest yield data, but I couldn’t get far because I lacked the technical ability.
I always thought that a master’s degree in computer science would be a great thing for my career, but I wasn’t sure how. I didn’t do computer science as an undergrad. I just didn’t know if I’d be able to get to that point.
Bridge
The Align classes are in the evening, and my work is flexible, so I can balance both. The program is well organized, too. I have a clear path for my courses each semester. I also like that Align is enclosed, and that I’m with the same people from the start all the way to the end of my master’s.
The students in my cohort come from a broad spectrum of careers, so everyone brings something unique to the table. They’re really collaborative and friendly, too. It makes finishing the problem sets fun — because they can be quite long at times!