“Ms. Rouillier showed me that computers were more than just
glorified Nintendos or typewriters. In her ‘Introduction to
Computer Science’ class, I got my first glimpse of a larger world:
computers could process data, provide a wealth of knowledge about a
variety of subjects, and help to create beautiful art. Why, they
could practically do my homework for me! But her class, while
brilliantly helpful, was only a first step into the world of
computing. The next one, in some ways, was so much more
important.”
“I’d never set foot in the students’ computer lab after my
initial tour of the school. “Boring,” I thought. “A bunch of geeks
sitting around typing.” I had absolutely no idea that one day I
would count myself among their number. To me, the idea of sitting
in front of a computer for hours on end was about as repellent as
good bug spray. Little did I know that it would become my
livelihood.”
“My friend Glen, who was the student systems administrator
that year, remarked to me one day, “You need an email account,
don’t you?“
“I shrugged. “Sure.”