Donnaly is on a mission to show that women in STEM is not only cool, but also very achievable. We sat down with Donnaly to learn more about the impact Skill Struck is making for children in STEM, and hearing what she thinks Salt Lake’s best kept secret is!
Q: Tell us more about the work you do.
D: Skill Struck is in the EdTech industry; we work with K-12 schools (online, charter, public, etc.) to implement computer science programs, teach kids how to code, and get them engaged with overall technology. This includes robotics, engineering, STEM, and cybersecurity.
I am the Director of Customer Success. My department focuses on customer life cycles. Every time a sale is done, we take over the account completely. This entails training teachers and principals, performing partner events, and getting kids comfortable with both people that look different in technology and the topic of computer science as a whole. I do a lot of data analysis to ensure everyone is using the platform and consulting how to use it best.
Additionally, my department focuses on customer experience, meaning teacher and student success. With the student success piece, we interview executives at google, adobe, etc. that represent female and people of color in computer science. We want to remove the stigma of what people in computer science should look like and what jobs are achievable.
Q: What do you enjoy most about the work that you do?
D: I love going to schools and doing site visits. I can see the potential that coding has; it’s so much more than a job, it’s an opportunity to get out of intergenerational poverty. To show these students that this is something they can do with their life, coding in a universal language, is really rewarding. It’s a place where they can find home even if they are assimilating to a culture that isn’t theirs.
Q: Has the shop impacted the way you work?
D: Yes! Whenever I’m at work, I feel empowered because I’m in environment with like-minded people. What attracted me to the shop was the community members and what they do, it was what ultimately brought me. So many organizations here are mission impacted like us!
Q: Have you lived in Salt Lake for a while or are you new? What do you think is Salt Lake City’s best kept secret?
D: I have lived in Utah for 7 years (oh my gosh 7 years, ha!). Salt Lake was always my fun weekend place and now I get to live here!
For their best kept secret, honestly, their coffee! You would think Salt Lake City would not do coffee well, but the local roasters are amazing. It’s very community driven and the options are incredible.
We’re so proud to have, and work with, mission-impacted members like Donnaly at The Shop. She hangs out in our booths on the 3rd and 4th floor. Pop over to say hi and learn about the incredible initiatives she is working on with Skill Struck.