{"id":2017,"date":"2022-05-13T08:30:56","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T15:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=2017"},"modified":"2024-08-05T18:38:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T01:38:19","slug":"computer-science-ravonne-byrd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/computer-science-ravonne-byrd\/","title":{"rendered":"Distance learning, remote working bring a new mom\u2019s tech dreams closer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"744\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g1KmKmpZ-GU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>An online search led Ravonne Byrd to Oregon State\u2019s online postbaccalaureate computer science program, which turned out to be the perfect fit for her<\/h2>\n<div class=\"editor-note\"><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:<\/strong> This article was <a href=\"https:\/\/alumnimag.engineering.oregonstate.edu\/03\/distance-learning-remote-working-brings-a-new-moms-tech-dreams-closer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">originally published<\/a> by Oregon State&#8217;s College of Engineering.<\/div>\n<p>Ravonne Byrd\u2019s school is in Corvallis, although her home is much closer to Albany \u2014 not the one just up the road, but that other Albany \u2014 about 3,000 miles away, in New York.<\/p>\n<p>A student in the popular <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/computer-science-postbacc\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">postbaccalaureate computer science online degree program<\/a> offered through Oregon State Ecampus, Byrd also worked for one year with the College of Engineering\u2019s Center for Applied Systems and Software in a telecommuting role.<\/p>\n<p>She was almost 30, with a bachelor\u2019s degree in religious studies from Princeton University, when she decided to change course. After college, she had worked with migrant farm laborers and survivors of domestic abuse. But, she came to realize, she wasn\u2019t cut out for that kind of work.<\/p>\n<p>Then she recalled how she had enjoyed writing code for a statistics assignment in college, so she decided to attend a local web development boot camp. She knew the transition to technology would be difficult, but she couldn\u2019t envision how she would navigate to a new job. In the midst of it all, she got married and became pregnant.<\/p>\n<p>Self-doubt set in. Was it too late for someone like her to start a career in technology? She was breaking the stereotype of the \u201ctech bro\u201d \u2014 young, male, and white. Friends from college had already parlayed their computer science degrees into lucrative jobs at Google and Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid my time pass? I had a child. There was a lot of uncertainty, and I did a lot of crying,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2019\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-320 alignright\" style=\"width: 320px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2019\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ravonne-byrd-square.jpg?resize=320%2C320&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"320\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ravonne Byrd&#8217;s experience in computer science as a student and software developer have yielded valuable lessons. \u201cA lot of people think tech is not for them,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are barriers \u2014 things to overcome \u2014 whether you\u2019re Black or white. People in their 30s and 40s might think they can\u2019t do that. That\u2019s not true.\u201d (Photo by Jayana LaFountaine)<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<p>While the boot camp didn\u2019t lead to a job, Byrd persisted, studying on her own \u2014 at times cradling a nursing child in one arm and a software manual in the other. She checked into academic programs closer to home, but they required either in-person attendance (meaning costly child care) or an undergraduate computer science degree. Even with the full support of her husband, neither option would work for her.<\/p>\n<p>An online search led her to Oregon State\u2019s postbacc online degree program, which turned out to be the perfect fit. In addition to learning a full suite of skills, she\u2019d be joining a large community of students, many with circumstances similar to her own.<\/p>\n<p>Byrd later applied for a job with the <a href=\"https:\/\/cass.oregonstate.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for Applied Systems and Software<\/a>. In opening up the position to Ecampus students, the search committee had taken location off the table, said Carrie Hertel, director of the software development group and test lab at CASS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we hired Ravonne, she shined just like any other student we\u2019d be interviewing,\u201d Hertel said.<\/p>\n<p>Byrd was the first student to work on a fully remote basis. She remembers feeling proud of her preparation during the application process. She was asked about concepts she had studied as she was breastfeeding her son, things like object-oriented programming and relational databases.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think persistence is a big part of being a software engineer, because you need to keep going until you find the answers or how you can solve a problem,\u201d Byrd said. \u201cBeing able to see that, even when I couldn\u2019t see the outcome, I kept studying when I felt hopeless. It does my heart good now that I know I have that persistence in me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Working across time zones was initially a concern, but it was not a problem. Byrd maintained a close working relationship with her CASS co-workers, Hertel said. And being able to work from home was a game-changer for Byrd. She contributed to projects in Oregon for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Transportation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe people at CASS are kind, knowledgeable mentors,\u201d Byrd said. \u201cI feel supported as a future engineer and a remote software development intern. It has also been doable for me, to juggle and center my responsibilities as a wife and mother. It\u2019s been energizing to do all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Buoyed by her own success, Byrd encourages others, particularly new moms, to consider the benefits of a technology career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of people think tech is not for them. There are barriers \u2014 things to overcome \u2014 whether you\u2019re Black or white. People in their 30s and 40s might think they can\u2019t do that,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s not true.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can make a career switch and have an immediate effect on your children\u2019s future. That\u2019s a powerful thing, as a mother. I\u2019ve definitely cried out of happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Byrd plans to graduate in 2023.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Learn more about the various computer science programs delivered online by Oregon State Ecampus.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rfi-button\" class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/topics\/computer-science\/\">Explore programs<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>Ravonne was nearly 30 and had a newborn. Was it too late to start a tech career? The answer: no. Now she&#8217;s in Oregon State&#8217;s postbaccalaureate online computer science program, learning a suite of skills as part of a large community of students, and it&#8217;s been a perfect fit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":2018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,3,677,8],"tags":[160,20,595],"class_list":["post-2017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-features","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-college-of-engineering","tag-computer-science","tag-school-of-electrical-engineering-and-computer-science"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ravonne-byrd-main.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-wx","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1442,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-computer-science-more-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":2017,"position":0},"title":"Online computer science program now more online than ever","author":"Rachel Robertson","date":"June 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The setting for Oregon State's online computer science students may not have changed, but plenty is different this year for its students and faculty. Program director, Ben Brewster shares how he and many students have been affected by COVID-19.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ben Brewster smiles from a video stream on the photographer's laptop","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2148,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/shane-adams-computer-science-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":2017,"position":1},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: Driven to change lives through computer science online","author":"Shane Adams","date":"October 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I have loved my experience online with Oregon State. ... I have a bachelor\u2019s degree and MBA already, but I wanted to pursue a postbaccalaureate degree in computer science online in hopes of making a profound impact in health care technology.\" \u2014 Shane Adams, computer science student","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An up-close view of a monitor with computer code on it.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-code.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-code.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-code.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-code.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2503,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/5-reasons-to-earn-your-computer-science-degree-online-with-oregon-state\/","url_meta":{"origin":2017,"position":2},"title":"5 reasons you should earn your computer science degree online with Oregon State","author":"Elena Moffet","date":"March 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Tamarsh Abeysekera earned his B.S. in Computer Science through Oregon State's online postbaccalaureate program. Read about his experience to learn how Oregon State's online computer science programs can help advance your career.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two people talking over a laptop computer","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P0121-AI-tools-800x450-231023.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P0121-AI-tools-800x450-231023.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P0121-AI-tools-800x450-231023.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P0121-AI-tools-800x450-231023.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2048,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-cs-professional-success\/","url_meta":{"origin":2017,"position":3},"title":"Oregon State&#8217;s online computer science program leads to professional success","author":"Tracy Scott","date":"June 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I primarily wanted to better myself by furthering my education and doing the work I love,\u201d Eric Rouse says. \u201cNow, I'm half-owner of the company that I work for. Completing my computer science degree at OSU Ecampus helped create the career of my dreams.\"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Eric-Rouse-800x450-220627.jpg?fit=1116%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Eric-Rouse-800x450-220627.jpg?fit=1116%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Eric-Rouse-800x450-220627.jpg?fit=1116%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Eric-Rouse-800x450-220627.jpg?fit=1116%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Eric-Rouse-800x450-220627.jpg?fit=1116%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1538,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/computer-science-admissions-support\/","url_meta":{"origin":2017,"position":4},"title":"Here\u2019s how we support online computer science students","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"September 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The folks in Oregon State's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science engage with people who are interested in OSU's online computer science postbaccalaureate program. The EECS staff offers wide-ranging support long before you actually enroll as a student, and it continues through mentorship programs, career showcases and more until\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Closeup developing programming and coding technologies. Developer working on web sites codes in office. Computer science online","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-postbacc-online.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-postbacc-online.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-postbacc-online.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-postbacc-online.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2807,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/asumi-suzuki-online-computer-science-postbaccalaureate-program\/","url_meta":{"origin":2017,"position":5},"title":"A computer science degree transformed tech curiosity into a career","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"June 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It started with a hackathon \u2014 a surprise assignment tucked inside a corporate training program in Japan. Asumi Suzuki was fresh out of college and newly hired into a sales role at Rakuten, one of Japan\u2019s most prominent tech companies. She had no computer engineering experience. But by the time\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A woman sits at a desk using a laptop, smiling and looking to her left. A small heart-shaped plant is on the desk in front of her.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Asumi-Suzuki-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Asumi-Suzuki-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Asumi-Suzuki-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Asumi-Suzuki-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}