• Name: Vicky Fowler.
• Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
• Where do you work? FCL Lab
• What is your current job? Researcher
• Hobbies: Hiking, swimming

We appreciate you taking the time to serve as a role model for young people considering a possible degree and career in computing and IT.

Tell us about ...

1. Were you interested in computing and information technology in middle school and high school?
   No, I became interested in computer technology in college
2. How did you become interested in the computing and information technology field?
   I became interested in information technology through a friend that I worked with.
3. In a couple of sentences, describe what you do in your job.
   I work with virtual human agents, and use them to finding ways for human to learn subjects and gain information.
4. Above all else, what excites you about the computing and IT field?
   The change, the new technology, the endless possibilities, the way we can provide better ways of learning, and change in communities.
5. What are the perks (financial, job security, status, etc.) of having a career in computing and information technology?
   The possibilities are endless, a computer science student can work in education, development, banking, security, and research.
6. In what ways do you find that your career in this field contributes to, in relative terms, a high quality of life?
   Computers are part of our everyday life, from cars to washers and driers. So, having computers contributes to a higher quality of life.
7. What would you tell young people who are considering pursuing a degree and career in computing and information technology?
   To give it your best, it is definitely worth it and to learn data structures and algorithm analysis. I think that those are the most important courses in CS.
8. In your experience, do the traditional stereotypes of the computing and IT nerd and geek hold true for most people in this field?
   No, I am a minority. I was born in Venezuela, and speak Spanish and English fluently. Also, most of the people that I have met in the computer science field are not the nerd and geek type.
9. Talk about some of the obstacles you may have faced along the way in choosing, and working your way toward this degree.
   Being a female, Latin and having a strong accent makes it harder to relate, since most people in the field are males. Having an accent has also made it hard, as well as understanding technical terms in what is my second language. I will just say to keep trying and trying, don’t give up.