Title: Lead Programmer, Analyst
Company: State of Tennessee
Location: Murfreesboro, TN United States

As a woman in today’s world, Carolyn Taylor believes that perseverance has contributed to her success in the IT industry. After taking various computer courses in high school, she went into the military and was trained by them. They then sent her to Holland to work with a Dutch company, even though she didn’t speak the language. Ms. Taylor was assured that all of the technical manuals were in English, but she decided to teach herself how to speak Dutch anyway. The biggest challenge she had to overcome was the mentality in Holland that men were more knowledgeable than women in technology. Ms. Taylor witnessed senior male professionals consistently going to other males for assistance when she had more experience. She considers her greatest accomplishment to date being able to survive and keep her head above water.

Ms. Taylor’s greatest strength is her ability to think outside the box and find solutions to problems. She is currently utilizing her skills as the lead programmer and analyst for the State of Tennessee. Looking to the future, however, Ms. Taylor would like to allocate more time to volunteering. She previously served as an officer on the board for the Daughters of the American Revolution, and anticipates doing more of the same. In addition, Ms. Taylor hopes to give lectures and talks at various speaking engagements. When she isn’t working, she enjoys listening to music, reading books and going for long walks.

Contact Carolyn Taylor