UNICA, ROSELEEN RAVEN

A WOMAN IN THE WORLD OF MEN

A graduate from one of the prestigious Universities in the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas, Rose as the team fondly calls her is a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Major in Networks and Security. 

But what made this woman enter the world of cables, hardwares, programming and networks?

As a child, she has always been fascinated by computers. Her love for it grew by the time Friendster was established. She started doing programming at the age of 10 using HTML and CSS to customize/tweak her Friendster profile. And as she grew, she realized that IT plays a big factor in shaping the future since modernization requires Technology. The thought of being a part of this change inspired her to take the said course.

In taking this course in college, she was able to adapt easily to the masculine environment of IT. Growing up, she has been surrounded by her boy cousins who, at the same time, took IT/Programming as their course. They are a big help for her in adjusting herself to this kind of environment. They gave her tips that were useful to her when she started her college years. The journey was rough, she had encountered a lot of bumps along the way but it did not stop her from finishing her degree. Her passion for Technology. Rose tried to focus more on herself than what society wants her to be. The key to facing the adversities of a woman entering the men’s world is by not letting it get to you, instead doing the best you can to prove to them that what men do, women can do too as long as you put your mind to it. The same goes vice versa

In today’s society women are now open in taking up professions that are once categorized as a job only for men. It just goes to show that most jobs could be gender neutral.

Rose would like to broaden her knowledge on other IT skills such as UI/UX design using different programming languages. UI Design has been one of her hobbies even before taking up her bachelor’s degree. Her fondness for it has become her stress reliever and she can express her creativity through it.

When asked of giving any advice to those who would want to enter the same field as she does, here’s her take;

“There are three pieces of advice I could give. First is to keep your focus and determination intact. There will be highs and lows and you may get sidetracked along the way, but always remember to keep God and your goal in the center of everything you do. Second, always bounce back. Don’t let one setback hold you from achieving your goals in this field. If you ever encounter mistakes, take accountability and responsibility and make sure you learn something from it. Lastly, enjoy all there is to it. Treat each day as  an opportunity to learn new and exciting things about Information Technology.”