Her Story
About Francisca
I originally came to the United States from Cameroon seeking greener pastures and had a huge desire to further my education to become a better person and help my family back home. When I arrived, I had to start with prerequisites even though I had gone to college in Cameroon. What was supposed to take two years took me about three and a half years, but I completed college and went on to earn my bachelor's degree in psychology from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I then pursued my master's degree in cybersecurity management and policy from University of Maryland Global Campus. Currently, I am enrolled in a doctoral program and will be graduating by God's grace in December of 2026. My journey into IT was inspired by how the world is evolving - everything is moving from the old-fashioned way our parents used to do things to AI and digital solutions. Everyone wants to use AI for everything, from writing emails to using Grammarly to structure communications. The world is really evolving, and that's what drew me to this field. Before IT, I worked in healthcare for about 6 years. Today, as a Senior Scrum Master, I wear many hats - I coach development teams, mentor, and facilitate. What I love most about my work is getting to interact with people from different cultures, meeting people from India, Ghana, and learning about their backgrounds. When we're called to come on-site, I get so excited because I get to meet new people and learn about other cultures, which is amazing.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Francisca
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'll give you three words: patience, consistency, and persistence. These have been the key factors to my success throughout my journey. I remember having a conversation with a younger friend two days ago who was frustrated about job hunting. She had gotten into an interview where they offered her less than what the recruiter initially told her, and she was considering taking it just because she needed a job. I told her, you know your worth, and that is good. You know your worth. Yes, you need a job, but taking this one now is actually going to stop you from getting what you want. You have to be patient. Throughout my own journey, there were semesters I could not go to school because I didn't have anyone to watch my kids, but I did not let that hold me back. Even in the kind of marriage I was in, there were days I thought about giving up, but I said, you know what, when I came to this country, my goal was to further my education and not let anything hold me back.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
What I will say is, be patient. I was actually having a conversation with a friend who is younger than me two days ago. She called me frustrated because it's not easy to get a job and she'd been out of work for so long. She got into an interview where they offered her less than what the recruiter had initially told her, and she was considering taking it because she really needed the job. I told her, you know what? You know your worth, and that is good. You know your worth. Yes, I know you need a job, but taking this one now is actually going to stop you from getting what you want. Be patient. Don't settle for less than what you're worth just because you need something right now, because taking the wrong opportunity can actually prevent you from getting the right one.
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