Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the contributions of women to society, and reflect on the issues that women face. In honor of this important event, Acuity would like to share a story from a woman in tech: one of our employees, Sadie, a Senior Database Administrator and Canadian-Iranian immigrant who overcame difficulties as a woman in tech and is now a valued member of the Acuity family.
Sadie’s story may sound unique, but it represents just one of the many women in tech at Acuity that deserve to be celebrated this month.
Growing up, Sadie loved working with computers. She was accepted to a computer science program at a prominent Iranian university as a young adult, and at a time when computer science was seen as a job only for men, Sadie was one of the only women in her graduating class. Undeterred as the only sole woman in tech from her class, Sadie entered the professional world as a programmer.
In only a few short years, she started her own computer programming company in Iran/Dubai with her husband—but she wasn’t finished yet. Seeking to expand her career opportunities, eventually Sadie decided to move to Canada.
A woman in tech in Canada
While in Canada, Sadie continued to excel at her work. She offered her services as a Senior Database Administrator and achieved certification in Oracle OCP and Microsoft MCDB. While working in Canada, Sadie found that there was much more separation between programming and database work than in Iran, meaning she was one of the few people who had experience in both technical areas.
“When I first interviewed at Acuity, I felt like they actually valued my knowledge and experience and what I could bring to the team”, explained Sadie, thinking back to her first impression of the company. “They saw me as a true professional and didn’t give me less credit than a man because of my background. Plus, there were other women in high positions that proved Acuity was a place of equal opportunities.”
Sadie knew from her first interview that Acuity was everything she was looking for. Months later, she is still grateful to her fellow Acuitians for treating her with professionalism and respect, and welcoming her onto the team.
When asked if she would do it all again, Sadie replied “I am proud of myself for doing this, and I would do it all again for my kids—and also for myself. I really feel like I have found a place with all the qualities that I was looking for.”
What is Sadie up to now?
Sadie now lives in the Greater Toronto Area with her husband and two children. Her daughter is in Architecture and her son is in IT, and has recently won first place in a prominent US hackathon. Both children thank her for moving to Canada and giving them the opportunity to pursue their own goals in life.
Sadie’s parting words to other women who dream of a career in tech ought to be remembered this Women’s History Month and beyond: “Be confident. I believe women have unique strengths that apply to the world of tech. We are instinctively caring and have a level of discipline for prioritizing tasks and multi-tasking that makes us special. Don’t give up on your dreams to explore technical professional jobs. We should be proud to be women.”
Inspired by the “woman in tech” stories and how to celebrate gender equality and inclusivity? Read more on how to make impactful, inclusive advertising as well as “what makes a good company culture”.
