Durham, N. H. - Megan Williams has always had a flair for technology: The Gilmanton, NH resident won the Computer Science Award as a senior in high school. Now, Williams is working at BAE Systems in Nashua, NH. She's part of their Engineering Leadership Development Program, through which she will ultimately get her Master's Degree in Computer Science. “I love (CS) because it’s so logical,” says Williams. “And, for the most part you can either do it right or wrong. There are different ways to solve problems, but only a few ways to code.” For Williams there was never a question of, should I pursue a career in computer science? Rather, the more pressing question was where to get her CS degree. And, while Williams considered other colleges, that answer came without much debate as well. She thanks her older brother for helping her make the decision - when he was looking at schools, Megan tagged along during his visit to UNH. “I loved it here,” she said. “I thought it was so beautiful.” Plus, she said, “It was far away enough from home to live on campus, but still close enough to home.” Williams says her four years at UNH have proven that her instincts were right on about UNH and its undergraduate program in CS. “I liked the teachers in the CS department,” she said. “A lot of them were very friendly, easy going, and approachable.” During her time at UNH, Williams got involved in a variety of ways. One of her accomplishments was being hired as a grader for a CS class – a rare opportunity for an undergraduate student. The title “grader” is somewhat deceptive, though, as Williams did more than just that. “In addition to grading, students come in with their programs and I assist them,” she explained. Williams was also a member of the UNH Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), for which she served as Vice President and Secretary. The group, which is comprised of female students from various disciplines in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, organized a panel of female engineers from the industry, who came in and talked about their experiences. Williams says her hope is to organize a similar event for younger girls some day so that perhaps in the future more young women will major in Computer Science. “There’s not many of us (women in the major),” said Williams. “It’s sad that not a lot of women do it, and I don’t know if it’s because they think they can’t or what. But, I can safely say that here it doesn’t seem like we’re treated any differently for being women.”
- Rachel Purnell, CS Staff |
