For Daryle Lamoureux, what began as a corporate partnership with Khoury College grew into a budding interest for exploring computer science. After learning about the Align program, he decided to transition careers, and has since doubled his salary in his new tech position.

Going from my previous job to where I am now, I about doubled my salary. So this gave me the opportunity to grow professionally. From that perspective – from a paycheck – it was worth it

Daryle Lamoureux, Align MSCS ’22

In college, Scott Valcourt found his calling with using computer science and math to solve real-world problems. Now a professor at Khoury College, he teaches students computer science fundamentals to encourage them to tackle new everyday problems outside of class.

It means a lot to me when a student comes back to me and says, ‘You know that thing you taught us how to do in SQL programming? I’m using that at my company right now, and if you hadn’t taught me that, I wouldn’t be as successful there as I am now.’ And that’s a pretty powerful thing

Scott Valcourt, Associate Teaching Professor

As a GIS specialist at the National Park Service, Kris Barnes knew he was programming, but he didn’t understand the deeper systems at play. Through the Align program, he got the opportunity to delve into the world of software, and now he’s looking forward to graduating with a new degree.

You have dance majors, econ majors, finance majors all coming together that want to learn something… That helps us go into the field and say, ‘oh yeah, let’s think about this differently

Kris Barnes, Align MSCS ’23

Shortly after beginning her career as an actuary, Tiffany Marthin felt concerned that her prospects were too narrow. Seeking more options, she discovered the Align program in Seattle, and now she’s gained confidence in a field known for its broad applicability.

Khoury College helped me build my confidence compared to two years ago when I had no experience at all … It’s definitely a journey, and it’s a good one

Tiffany Marthin, Align MSCS ’23

Whether he was helping the Canadian government catch drug traffickers or optimizing travel schedules for Japan’s top baseball league, Richard Hoshino has leveraged mathematics and computer science to help others accomplish their goals. Now at Khoury College, he’s doing the same for his students.

My mission statement for my entire career has been to help students discover their potential and purpose by transforming how they experience mathematics and computer science … and to make change on the issues they care about

Richard Hoshino, Associate Teaching Professor

When Ujwala Ramakrishna discovered the Align program’s mission to make computer science accessible for all, it prompted her to move away from the career she had been preparing for in environmental science. Now she helps students navigate their own career transitions.

I think we’ve done an incredible job of changing the field, and I hope that in the next 10 years, Align is able to continue to make that change in industry and give a voice to people who have traditionally been left out of the conversation

Ujwala Remekrishna, Assistant Director of Academic Advising and Graduate Student Services

Sommer Harris thought it was too late for her to pursue a career in tech. But as part of Khoury College’s Align program, she’s found the supportive community of staff, faculty, and students helped her push through the challenges of entering a field she never thought she could access.

It was kind of unimaginable to me, getting a computer science co-op and then eventually getting a full-time job. But it does happen, and if you keep working and take advantage of the resources, it will happen

Sommer Harris, Align MSCS ’22

After 10 years of working in Vancouver’s tech industry, Lino Coria Mendoza realized his heart was set on academia. Now a professor at Khoury College’s Vancouver campus, he wants to make up for lost time by helping students reach their maximum potential.

It’s not so much that I’m here to teach, but I am here to help my students learn. And that learning means getting out of your comfort zone

Lino Coria Mendoza, Associate Teaching Professor

While working in Seattle with software engineers, Akriti Chadda started to wonder if there was a place for her in the tech industry. Now an alumna of the Align program, she’s grateful for the community she found at Khoury College and her part in increasing representation in the field.

The one word that comes to my mind when I think about Khoury is ‘grateful,’ and it’s not just because of the skills that I learned over the years … I think the community that we formed just by virtue of the fact that we were all working towards the same goal of increasing representation in tech is absolutely wonderful

Akriti Chadda, Align MSCS ’97

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