On January 23rd, computer science students virtually attended TKS Talks with Delivery Engineering Director at Netflix, Amy Smidutz. Amy talked about her journey working at the world's largest tech companies like Netflix, Amazon, and GoDaddy, as well as introduced students to niche fields of engineering like Chaos Engineering.
CS 110 student Anthony Kerr ’23, who observed the presentation, shared the following: “One important lesson I learned from Amy Smidutz is to always be curious. When something intrigues you, take the time to explore it. You may end up finding your passion. By exploring her curiosity for technology, Amy Smidutz found her passion at just seven years old. She also met many like-minded people who shared her love for computer science and engineering. Smidutz’s initial curiosity led her to many life-changing opportunities and eventually becoming the engineering director of one of the biggest companies in the world, Netflix. At the end of the live stream, she shared with us some great advice to propel our futures:
- Even if you are feeling alone, always remember that there are people like you in the world, and eventually you will find them.
- Be intentional in the environments you want to be involved with. Make the most of your opportunities.
- Ambition creates manifestation.
Attending this event and seeing computer science being actively used in different fields reinforced my belief that the programming skills I am currently learning at Molloy will be strong assets in my future.”