Major: Computer and Information Science
Kali Gooderham became interested in computer science because of her dad, a principal software engineer for a software trading company.
“Although he never pushed it on me, I always looked up to him and thought what he was doing was so interesting,” she said. “In elementary school, I started programming on an application called Scratch. Scratch is a simple drag-and-drop programming tool for kids and beginners, and I had a lot of fun messing around with that until I got into more complicated concepts and ways of programming in high school.”
During her last year in high school, Gooderham discovered she has an autoimmune disease. This impacted her decision for college, as she had mixed feelings about leaving home for school. She also understood the importance of making a fiscally responsible decision, so attending College of DuPage was a great option to pursue.
What she found at COD were amazing professors in the Computer and Information Science program, especially women in a male-dominated STEM field.
“It was very surprising that I had three female computer science teachers throughout my time at COD,” she said. “I made connections with all of them, and I really valued their insight and knowledge about being a woman in the field and how to succeed. I never had a poor experience in any class I have taken, but the best ones were always with Professor Marci Rakestraw and Professor Carolyn England. They showed me that I was not alone in the field, and it was amazing to connect with other women with the same interests. They are a big part of the reason I have succeeded and have so much confidence in my abilities.”
Rakestraw encouraged Gooderham to apply for a software engineering internship with Northrop Grumman in Rolling Meadows, and England gave her advice prior to the interview. Gooderham landed the internship for summer 2023 and, because of the positive experience, continued working part-time there. She looks forward to a second summer internship with the company in 2024.
The professors are all incredibly knowledgeable and wonderful to be around.
Kali Gooderham
Currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Lewis University, Gooderham plans to get as much experience as possible after graduation, which will allow her to keep her options open.
“Because there are so many different paths in computer science, it is very difficult for me to just pick one,” she said. “I believe that in time, things will come together. I am not sure where this all will take me, but I am very confident in my abilities and my hope for the future.”
Gooderham could not be more grateful for everything she received at COD.
“If you are unsure about where you want to go and what you want to do, COD has an amazing number of resources available to help you find yourself and your path, without putting you $200,000 in debt,” she said. “Even if you do know where you want to transfer to, doing a year or two at COD will allow you to save tens of thousands of dollars for the same quality of education. You also get closer relationships with professors because of the low student-to-teacher ratio and more direct help if you want or need it. Work hard in your classes, ask questions, and create and maintain relationships with your professors.
“For students thinking about the CIS program, I highly recommend it. The professors are all incredibly knowledgeable and wonderful to be around. They are clearly very passionate about making sure you understand the concepts, and they really do want to see you succeed.”
Learn more about the Computer and Information Science program at College of DuPage