Mama Nora
There were so many factors that led me to pursue a career in technology, but there is one major factor that was the driving force: my mother. I just wanted to take some time to thank her and to stress how influential a mother can be to her daughter.
Growing up poor
My mother grew up very poor in a third world country. She climbed out of poverty by getting an education. She attended a prestigious college in the Philippines and earned her first degree in Chemical Engineering in the late 50's. She then came to the US, studied accounting, met my father who was in the Navy, and settled here. She went on to become a CPA and worked as a controller for a small family run business in the Tidewater area.
Raising a daughter
Growing up, my mother used to always tell me that I would be good at engineering. She used to brag about me to her friends, and I used to get so embarrassed. I hated it in fact. It wasn't until I grew up that I was realize it's impact on me. It gave me inner confidence. It made me believe in myself. Although she emphasized the importance of education, she was far from a Tiger Mom.
Raising 2 daughters
Now that I am myself a mother to 2 daughters, I have the honor and responsibility to raise my 2 daughters. I now understand the importance of opening the doors of opportunity for my daughters. I want to install in them the confidence to try new things. I want them to believe that they can accomplish anything and nothing is too difficult for them to tackle. If I only accomplished one thing in life, I would want this to be my lasting legacy.