Mara Ross has been interested in technology for as long
as she can remember. When she was 10 years old, her parents
gave her an electronics lab kit. She used it to make circuits,
connect speakers, and set off blinking lights in different
patterns.
Soon she was teaching herself to fix broken tape recorders
and phones. By the time Maria graduated from high school,
she was fixing electronics for her friends and working part-time
at an electronics store.
It wasn't long before Maria started working on computers
and learning about desktops, laptops, and networks. "It
was just natural for me," she says. "I love
to be challenged." She decided to become a computer
technician, so she spent two years earning an Associate's
Degree in Electronics and Computer Technology.
When she finished school, Maria had a hard time finding
a job that would use her new skills. She kept her part-time
job until she found a position through one of her friends.
Now she does computer network installation and troubleshooting
for a local company.
"I like the work because there's always something
new and different," Maria explains. "Some days
I'll go in and the network is down. I can easily get
that working again. Then someone will have a hardware failure
on their computer and I'll spend the day taking it
apart, testing and replacing parts, and putting it back
together. It feels great when I get everything working again."
Maria wants to be an information technology manager for
a successful company, running their computer systems. She
thinks her current job is a good place to grow because she's
getting skills and experience. She's also meeting
people in lots of different companies – people she
can network with when she's ready for the next step.
Maria
Ross
