I'm a childoftheeightieswhereherewaskindofwild, sothatwasjustexcitingtome.
I'm MelindaWilliams.
Forthepast 40 years, I'vebeenrunningmyownsaloninteachingcosmetologyatMadisonAdultCareerCenter.
Okay, wereyougonnadowithtime?
Someyearsback, wehadanautoplant.
Closewayhad a lotofclientsthatweretransferredoutofTownWayalsohadclientsthatstayedintheareabutcouldn't affordtogetbeauty.
Serviceisdonewaydidlosebusiness.
So I thought, it's timetoshiftgearsanddosomethingelse.
I'vealwayslovedcomputersSo a lotofmycolleagueswouldcometobewheretheyhad a questionabout I t.
Myschoolpartnerswithourlocalcommunitycollegeandmyassistantdirectorandformethattheyhad a grantfortheGoogle I T certificateprogram, andshethoughtthat I wouldbeinterested.
Everything I learnedwaskneweverything.
I wasjusttakingmyfirstbiteofthesandwicheverytime I learnedaboutsecurity, aboutinfrastructure, howtocountthedietarydidn't knowthathowtotakecareofonecomputerandthenkindoftakecareof a fleetofcomputers.
I didn't feellikeme.
Andthisisforpeoplewhoalreadyknowsomething.
Ittookmestepbystep, finding a causecriticalconceptin I t support.
Wherever I hadmyphone, mylaptop, I couldsqueezein a fewminutesofstudying.
I'llbeupinbedwithmycomputer.
Myhusband's like, Isn't thatruling I'm like, No, I'm interested.
It's like a goodbook.
I wantedtokindofseehowthatportionwasgonnaend.
I completedtheGoogle I T certificateprograminfivemonths.
Patmyselfontheback.
I gottoaboutthethirdcourse, and I'm like, youknow, probablycoulddothisfor a living.
I startedtosearchjobsandearningpotential.
I hadnoideahowmanyjobsthatwere a 19 andtheypayverywell.