All through my high school years I learned all that I could about computers. By the time I enrolled in college, I knew three computer languages and three computer systems. I figured that computer science was the only way to go. I was wrong. By the end of my sophomore year, I was bored and looking for new challenges. That was when I discovered applied mathematics and statistics.

After two years of calculus and programming, I finally had a chance to apply some of the theory. New ideas and challenges were presented to me. I particularly enjoyed puzzles and problem-solving. Courses such as graph theory, game theory, and combinatorics provided me with new insight for solving difficult problems.

At graduation I decided that the real world was not ready for me. I applied and was accepted to the Stony Brook Masters program in operations research. These courses taught me how to budget and organize my resources, including time. Also, I learned to apply my skills to real-life situations. No longer was everything theoretical. One of the most rewarding parts of my MS study was a practicum study of the Long Island Railroad on railroad car utilization.

During my second semester of graduate school, I started working for a small software firm as a technical writer. While learning and documenting their systems, I discovered many bugs, and I was promoted to Software Quality Assurance.