A hairdresser turned information technology professional, Jessica Knaak finds similarities in the two careers.<\/p>\n
\u201cClients want things they can\u2019t have, and you have to figure out how to create something they\u2019ll like,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Jessica (Gilmore) Knaak, who received her bachelor\u2019s degree in information science and technology from 51ÁÔÆæ in 2014, does web development at Rexnord Corp. She\u2019s also active with the local chapter of Girls in Tech (GiT), an international organization that encourages women to go into high-tech fields and create their own start-ups.<\/p>\n
Knaak graduated from high school in 2000. She said she feels fortunate to be part of the first generation of students for whom working with computers is routine. The children in her kindergarten class at Cushing Elementary in Delafield \u201cwere kind of guinea pigs,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve had some sort of computer class since I was five.\u201d<\/p>\n
In school, she loved science, mathematics and the arts. She played the flute and competed in the Math Olympiad. But it took her a while to figure out what she wanted to pursue as a career. She tried college, then got her cosmetology license and worked as a beautician for eight years until a broken ankle, disk problems and the recession led her to look for a different career.<\/p>\n
She started an accelerated business administration program at Cardinal Stritch University, transferred to 51ÁÔÆæ and then decided business wasn\u2019t the right major for her. But she loved one class \u2013 database management. Her professor suggested she attend an open house at 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s School of Information Studies, and that\u2019s where she found her passion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took my first HTML class and found it was the perfect atmosphere for me, combining my creative and scientific interests,\u201d Knaak said. \u201cI love problem-solving and information science was all about solving problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
She studied everything from \u201cheads-down coding,\u201d to classification and indexing to website design. Along with her IST degree, she earned a certificate in digital arts and culture. She particularly enjoyed working with 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s App Brewery, developing apps for nonprofits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was an amazing opportunity,\u201d Knaak said. \u201cIt really taught me how to work in the real world, talk to clients, create designs and be a project manager.\u201d<\/p>\n
The IST program was flexible. During the second semester of her junior year, Knaak spent six weeks abroad, taking classes online.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy teachers were amazing; I got all my work done on time \u2013 and I was in Australia,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
But although she felt supported and encouraged by her instructors, she noticed that other women didn\u2019t seem as comfortable in a field still perceived as male-dominated. So when an invitation went out to join a new chapter of Girls in Tech, she was quick to sign up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went because I wished there was someone to tell me when I started school in 2011 what I know now,\u201d said Knaak, who now serves as the local chapter\u2019s assistant director.<\/p>\n
Girls in Tech has formed a partnership with the local Girl Scouts to encourage girls to go into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Members, who range in age from Girl Scouts to women in their 60s, get together monthly to talk about technology, socialize and organize visits to local schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re bridging the gap between all the opportunities in Milwaukee, and the women who don\u2019t know about them,\u201d Knaak said. \u201cWomen \u2013 and men, too \u2013 are learning that information technology can be more than just math and science. It involves problem-solving and creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Organizations in the past haven\u2019t fully tapped the pool of talented women in IT, she said. But now, \u201cI feel like we\u2019re the cusp of something great.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Web developer Jessica Knaak is helping other women make connections in the growing field of information technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":835,"featured_media":36294,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174],"tags":[249,250],"section":[142,139],"display_categories":[115,116],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[347,165],"class_list":["post-35713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-community-engagement","tag-student-success","section-computer-science-technology","section-science-technology","display_categories-top-story-secondary","display_categories-top-story-section","uwmnews-feed-community-engagement-professions","uwmnews-feed-information-studies"],"yoast_head":"\n