1. Hello, my name is:
Michelle Darling
Mountain View High School
College Awareness Day | October 2014

2. About Me
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(mdarlingcmt@gmail.com)
M.O.M. to a 9th grader and a 3rd grader.
MVHS Tutor - available Mondays at Tutorial Center.
Massage Therapist @ Google, Yahoo!, etc.
Tech Manager, Trainer, Database Developer.
World traveller (14 countries so far...)
○ ASIA: Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia
○ LAT AM: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico
○ EUROPE: UK, France, Belgium

3. My Educational Journey
● 1984 - Freehold High School, NJ
● 1988 - Rutgers University,
Bachelor’s in Computer Science.
● 1994 - Rutgers University
Master’s in Communication and Info Science.
● 2004 - West Valley College,
Certificate in Massage Therapy.
● 2014 - UCSC Extension
Certificate in Database and Data Analytics.

4. HIGH SCHOOL
● Philippines:
○ Girl’s Catholic High School.
○ Interests: Writing, World Lit.
● Freehold, NJ
○ US Coed high school = culture shock!
○ Interests: Computer Science, Writing.

5. COLLEGE:
Douglass College, Rutgers University
Why Douglass at Rutgers?
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4 year state school = affordable tuition.
Close to home (but not too close).
Small college within a big university.
Extra support for female students:
○ STEM Internships.
○ PT job as Computer Center Manager.
○ Female-only dorms (but co-ed classes).

6. COLLEGE:
Bachelor’s in Computer Science
Why Computer Science (not Journalism)?
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I LIKED it.
I was GOOD at it (with extra effort).
It would lead to a rewarding job.
Opportunity to change the world by working in a
male-dominated field.

7. GRADUATE SCHOOL: Master’s in CIS
Why go to grad school?
● I LIKED it, and I was GOOD at it.
● My employer was paying for it.
● It made me a better employee.
● It opened up new job opportunities!

8. CERTIFICATE:
West Valley College Massage Therapy
Why Massage Therapy?
● I LOVE it, and I’m VERY
GOOD at it!
● Family-friendly career.
● Rewarding PT job.
● Opportunity to make a
positive difference in
people’s lives.
Why West Valley College?
● Community college =
affordable tuition.
● Childcare availability.
● Just right: size,
commute, balance
between school &
family.

9. CERTIFICATE:
UCSC Extension Data Analytics
Why go back to school?
● I LOVE it and I’m VERY
GOOD at it!
● Update skills to get a
rewarding FT job.
● Inspire my kids to be
life-long learners.
● Opportunity to change
the world by helping to
tame “Big Data.”

10. At each step on YOUR journey...
Ask yourself:
Do I love (or at least like) it?
Am I good at it?
What do I need to get there?
Will it be rewarding enough?
Do I have the opportunity to
change the world or help others?
● Is the fit “just right”?
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Enjoy your journey!
P.S. The journey never ends.