Metro West Times

 In 2020, after she lost her job as a server because of the pandemic, Chloe Gerhardson decided it was time to make a big change.

A year later, she enrolled at Springfield Technical Community College to pursue a degree in Computer Information Technologies, a program now known as Cybersecurity.

Her decision paid off. Majoring in computer programming, she graduated with an associate degree in the spring of 2022. Today, she works as an infrastructure engineer for Python Software Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes Python, a programming language commonly used to develop websites and software.

She loves the position and is excited about her career prospects.

“I was very excited to get the job,” said Gerhardson, 27. “I found this before I graduated. I sent them my resume and a cover letter and heard back pretty quickly.”

She said Professor Brian Candido at STCC served as a reference and helped her get the job.

“When I applied for the position they were initially looking for a candidate with experience,” she said.

Still taking classes, Gerhardson didn’t have the professional experience but they were impressed with the STCC student as a candidate.

They spoke with Candido and felt confident about hiring his student, Gerhardson said. They offered her the job. She is able to work remotely and plans to stay in Western Massachusetts.

“I was taking Python courses at STCC, so to be offered a position representing the language was great,” Gerhardson said.

Her academic program was completely online, which she enjoyed.

“I didn’t have to spend time commuting to classes,” she said. “(Professor Candido) always encouraged students to participate. He was really interested in seeing his students succeed.”

At STCC, Gerhardson worked as a peer tutor in the supplemental instruction program and as a tutor at the Student Success Center.

In her role as an “SI,” she assisted Candido by helping fellow students. “Having that working relationship with Brian Candido specifically has been really great for getting to where I am today. He’s been helpful at pushing me in the right direction and sharing stories about how he got to where he is today. He’s been an inspiration.”

I’m proud of Chloe, who was a wonderful addition to the computer information technology department. She was very well regarded by our students.Brian Candido, STCC Professor

Candido said he was delighted to hear his student landed the position.

“Working as an infrastructure engineer at the Python Software Foundation is huge in IT,” he said. “I’m proud of Chloe, who was a wonderful addition to the computer information technology department. She was very well regarded by our students.”

Gerhardson graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 2013. She then studied psychology at an area college for a year, but discovered it wasn’t the right fit. She took some general education classes at another community college and went to work as a server and bartender for about three years. In 2019, she became a certified yoga teacher.

“I definitely wanted to go back to school because it’s not a stable position to be working as a server, especially after going through a global pandemic,” she said.

Gerhardson chose programming at STCC because she knew it would be a pathway to a fast-growing career.

“There were going to be a lot of job opportunities opening up but not many people are qualified,” she said. “I thought it was a good place to be.”

Before she officially started working, Python Software Foundation flew her out to a tech conference called PyCon US 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She enjoyed networking with people working at big name tech companies.

As she starts her career in cybersecurity, Gerhardson will enter an industry still dominated by men. Women hold only about 25 percent of the cybersecurity jobs in the industry, according to Cybercrime Magazine.

STCC encourages women and people of color – populations underrepresented in computer and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields – to pursue academic degrees and careers.

When she enrolled at STCC, Gerhardson said she thought about how the computer industry needs more diversity.

“Being a woman in tech is kind of advantageous,” she said. “I thought this would give me a leg up when looking for a job after graduation.”

_{Source: https://www.stcc.edu/about-stcc/news/stcc-computer-programming-student-finds-inspiration-opportunities.html}