This March, Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions of women in our society which are often overlooked. This year we commemorate women’s experiences with a series on Women in Technology at Illinois State! This week’s Women in Tech is Mary Ditchen.
What’s your current position?
I’m a front end web developer and front end strategist for the digital experience team in Web and Interactive Communications (WEB).
Why did you decide on technology as a profession at Illinois State University?
I credit my dad! He loved technology, and we always had a computer in the house growing up. When I was a teenager, he signed my brothers and me up for Microsoft classes out at Mitsubishi (where he worked) because he wanted to prepare us for the workforce. When I quit my full-time clerical job at Illinois State University to complete my degree in my mid-20s, I knew I wanted to learn the web. I had dabbled in HTML and CSS, and seeing code transform words and pictures into a webpage felt like magic to me, so I majored in the Department of Technology’s industrial technology-graphic communications program with an emphasis in web media management. I love higher education and the university community, so I jumped at the chance to apply for a position with the WEB office, which was Institutional Web Support Services (IWSS) back then, after graduation.
What is the best part of your job? Or what impact do you see yourself making as a woman in tech?
The best part of my job is the people I work with! My professional vision is to “make the web more human,” and that’s only possible when the humans making the web have safe spaces for collaboration, feedback, and shared decision making. That sounds simple, but you can’t just put everyone in a Zoom and expect them to start putting out great products. The creative process doesn’t work that way. One of the biggest impacts I see myself making in tech is in building relationships and creating environments that nurture collaboration and allow our highly technical, highly creative team to produce great digital experiences that make the web more human.
What barriers do you see women entering the technology workforce?
Unfortunately, in a lot of ways the technology field still feels like a bit of a boys’ club. I’ve been the only female web developer in the room for a lot of my career, and while the vast majority of my male counterparts have been amazing to work with and utterly respectful, there were definitely gatekeepers along the way who didn’t consider me a “real developer.” When those gatekeepers are in charge of search committees and hiring decisions, they can have a direct effect on your career trajectory and lifetime earning potential.
You didn’t ask, but seeing women developers leading development teams and ensuring pay equity for women in development roles would go a long way towards removing the barriers facing women entering the technology workforce.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self or other women that are entering the tech workforce?
Fight imposter syndrome at all costs! You’ve earned your seat at the table. You belong here. Just because you’re new at this and still learning, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak up. The insights and experiences you bring to the conversation have value and add value. Ask your questions! Share your bold ideas! Apply for that position that feels like a stretch. Don’t be afraid of failing or falling short. You’ll survive, and you’ll grow.
