Women in STEM: Linda van der Pal, Technology

Linda van der Pal earned her Information Systems degree from the University of Amsterdam. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it.

What is your specific area of STEM?
IT (Information Technology)

How would you explain your STEM field to young girls?
Everybody uses computers, phones and tablets. When you work in IT, you help to make that possible. All computers need programs to tell them what to do. As a programmer you are the one to tell the computer what it should do.
 
What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field?
A love to solve puzzles, a desire to help people or a desire to improve the world.
 
What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? 
We got our first personal computer when I was 11.
 
Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone?
Being able to control computers seemed like an awesome ability. Then later on I saw everybody in high school doubting what they wanted to do, so I stuck with computer science. And never regretted it since.

What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? 
Creating games, programming robots (for example the machine that collects your suitcase at the airport).

What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? 
With an education in IT, you can work anywhere at all! Travel companies, big banks, gaming companies, or even Google!
 

Thank you for contributing, Linda!

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