Why a CS major would want an MBA
I was initially a management major, but my college required one computer science class during our first semester. It was in that class, amidst …
I was initially a management major, but my college required one computer science class during our first semester. It was in that class, amidst loops and pointers, that I fell in love with programming. Soon, I switched my major to computer science. Now, I’m about to graduate as a software engineer, and I love what I do. I feel alive when I solve problems and create new things that improve people’s lives. I especially love the endorphin rush I experience once I get a pesky bug fixed!
During my junior year, I went on a software development internship where I was often the only woman, the youngest, or the only Asian in the room. During those six months, I realized that the trailblazers of technology, or at least the ones we know of, were all powered by testosterone.
And it made me wonder — why don’t we have a Martia Zuckerberg or even a Steph Jobs? I look around me, and I notice that there are simply not enough women running tech companies or founding the next Apple. Actually, there are not enough women on the top, period. In a TED speech, Facebook COO and Harvard Business School alum Sheryl Sandberg commented that only fifteen to sixteen percent of executives in the corporate world are women. In fact, companies such as Facebook and Zynga do not have a single woman in their boards. Those dismal numbers have to change, and I want to be part of the solution.
That is why I want an MBA. I want to leverage technology and business to change that ratio. I want to equip myself with the skills that I will need to run a tech company with that mission someday. Maybe, I’ll be gutsier and even start one myself.
Some people are brave, though. They found companies right away, but at the young age of twenty, I feel scared that I won’t know anything or that people won’t take me seriously, especially since I do not have an American undergrad degree. Perhaps that’s the imposter syndrome talking, but I do feel that an MBA will better prepare me for the career path that I see for myself. I will get to be intimate with every nook and cranny of a company’s structure, finances, etc., before I have to do it in real life. I guess that’s just my style – I want to have a broader view before I have to make tough business decisions, whether for my own venture or for the next Twitter.
But whether I do go for an MBA or not, one thing is for sure: I will stay in the tech industry because I believe in its capacity to ignite social change. In fact, what I love most about tech is that it is a great “democratizer.” Imagine, a poor student from the streets of India who does not have the means to hire private tutors can still learn through organizations like the Khan Academy. Students who are not privileged to attend prestigious schools can still have access to the same caliber of information through ventures like MIT Open Courseware and Harvard’s courses in iTunes U.
Growing up as the daughter of an immigrant in a small, Midwestern town, technology is what empowered me to be what I am today. It was the backbone of my education, the very reason I was able to have a job in a top ten software company. I want to use that unique quality of tech, coupled with solid business acumen, to empower the underdogs of the world, the children of underprivileged immigrants, all young women. I want them to be able to look up to strong women like what I aspire to be, and realize that yes, they can code, they can be scientists, they can be CEOs. I want them have the opportunity to be leaders, not just followers. I want to be part of the transformation of our society into an America where women creating tech startups and running big corporations is part of the norm, rather than the exception.
Frances is about to graduate with a degree in Computer Science with specialization in Software Engineering. Previously, she interned for six months for Accenture Software and will be joining them as a Software Engineer in June. She also contributes to The Levo League, Women 2.0, and STEMinist. A proud geek girl, she’s sure she is the only one who can’t play video games. Follow her random musings at @FranAdvincula.
