“ Technology is a growing field where diverse backgrounds and mindsets can come together and thrive . We are at an inflection point , where technology as a whole permeates everything we touch and is poised to go further . I encourage you to explore , try different things to determine what you enjoy doing . Are you a strong mathematician , do you like finding patterns ( order in the chaos )? Explore while reflecting inward at where your curiosity leads you ; it is your inner compass .” – Manuel Lobao
MANUEL LOBAO all my toys , until a few days later they ’ d find them put back together . As I grew older , my interest expanded into learning more about the complex world of business , which led me to pursue a degree in business management . My driving force was to always try to blend my natural passion for technology with my growing interest in business to create a career focused on leveraging technology for greater business outcomes . Each position I ’ ve held has helped me develop in either of these two areas , which has ultimately led me to my dream career .” – Brandon Casey
“ I certainly didn ’ t take the traditional route into this field . I ’ ve always had a passion for helping people , so I started my career at a nonprofit . While there , I found myself focusing on improving inefficiencies . I ’ ve always enjoyed refining process : How can we make something easier , faster , better ? This passion drove me to pursue a career in the wellbeing software space . I love that my role at Virgin Pulse allows me to leverage my technical critical-thinking skills while changing lives for good .” – Caitlin Floskis
“ I really became involved in technology by chance . I attended Bryant University and my initial major was accounting , which I quickly determined didn ’ t work for me . My older brother was also at Bryant within the CIS major at the time so I thought , why not , and switched to CIS . It was one of the best decisions I ever made . The constant changes within the technology field keep this career fresh and exciting . I love when I have developed something for a department that helps to make their job easier and more straightforward and I enjoy learning new ways of accomplishing things .” – Christine Bigwood
“ In 1984 my father brought home a Tandy TRS-80 computer . We had no idea what this thing was or why it existed . One day I was in RadioShack and they had a book called 44 Programs for the TRS-80 . I turned the computer into an alarm clock using code from the book and instantly fell in love . I think I ’ m fortunate to still possess my childhood curiosity of how things work as well , since that curiosity has really been a driving factor in my professional career .” – Damian Costantino
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN TECHNOLOGY ? WHAT WAS THE DRIVING FORCE ?
“ Ever since I can remember , I have always been fascinated with how things work . I remember opening many kitchen appliances and rendering them useless just to understand what made them work . That fascination is still with me however tempered with the value that technology delivers .” – Aditya Arora
“ For as long as I can remember , I ’ ve been obsessed with figuring out how things work and how they could be improved . My parents used to think I was breaking
“ In my late teens I had a summer job through which I met a young man with autism who used an assistive communication device to express himself . I was amazed not just by how empowering the device was for him but also by the technology itself . As I entered college , I pursued classes that included coding and programming . Since starting my professional career , I have had the opportunity to work with awesome people in the field of IT , eventually leading to my current role for the last nine years at Carousel Industries .” – Jorge E . Garcia
64 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l NOVEMBER 2020