Judy Carter '63 Talks with Students About Careers in Computer Science

Carter spoke about her early career as a systems engineer for her family’s life insurance company where, with the help of classes in computing from IBM, she built a tailored computer system from the ground up. Students from the AP Computer Science course were in attendance for the talk, as well as a number of other students interested in computer programming. Carter spoke of vast differences in the early PL/1 computing language, which she used, versus the ease of modern coding. Students asked about her experience being a woman in a male-dominated field, and the conversation even included a group discussion of the implications of modern technology, from social media to Artificial Intelligence.

Ms. Carter told the group she pursued a career in math and technology after Chatham Hall in part because "it was one of the few fields in which women were paid equally as men." Ms. Carter was a stalwart in her professional arena and a pioneer in the writing of code. She also served as an executive throughout her career, working as the Executive Vice President of her family’s insurance company and then as the Head of Operations for a financial software company in Greensboro, N.C. At the end of this wide-ranging and thoroughly enjoyable conversation, Carter told the students that she credits much of her success to the challenges she faced and friendships she formed at Chatham Hall.