Candaises Williams

I am a long time native of the city of Philadelphia North Philadelphia section. It is MY MISSION to remain true to remain true to my Philadelphia roots by giving back to the community and encouraging minorities (Both under and Over 40) to pursue and transition into STEM Careers(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

I was introduced to Information Technology at the age of 16 while attending Simon Gratz High School as a member of the P.R.I.M.E (Programming Informatics Mathematics Education) Club. It was while being employed for many years within the healthcare sector, I later decided to pursue my dreams of becoming and I.T. professional and decided to attend Peirce College in Philadelphia where I studied Information Technology, Network Security Concentration. I am a Software Quality Test Analyst not because I chose to be, but because CHOSE ME!! I have completed the appropriate training within an aggressive fast pace environment of Software Quality Assurance which thus allowed me to apply my analytical skills and knowledge within an active environment in Corporate America; I look forward to continuing in furthering my education in Technology.

I am very passionate about the young people within the City of Philadelphia; one of the organizations that I have will continue to provide support to the students at Boys’ Latin High School where I have created the “Blazer For My Brother” Initiative. Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, a college preparatory high school, serves qualified boys of diverse backgrounds who live in the City of Philadelphia. Boys' Latin offers its students a rigorous contemporary and classical education that prepares them for college matriculation and sets high standards for achievement, character development, and age appropriate conduct.

According to the National Center for Women & Information Technology's most recent statistics, African American women represents only 3% within the computing workforce; and it is my hope that these numbers increase as I and other African American women take advantage of a lucrative career in Information Technology.

I AM THE NEW FACE OF S.T.E.M.