Susannah McCloskey

From the time I first started to learn math and problem-solving, I loved it. I wasn’t necessarily the best or even accelerated in my classes, but learning new ways to work through problems and practicing math problems was always something I had a genuine enjoyment for. Computer science and programming had not even been on my radar until my older brother went to college to get his degree in software engineering. Even though I had myself pegged as an environmental science or math person, he encouraged me to pursue computer science in college. Oddly enough, I was sold and entered college with computer science as my major. I eagerly went to my first programming class ready to learn and expectant that it would come easily to me, like math. However, programming was my worst subject, and I struggled to wrap my head around even the most basic algorithms. It wasn't until I began pair programming and building community in the classroom that programming started to click and I began enjoying it. In retrospect, I’m glad programming did not come easily to me because it taught me how to work hard, how to be curious, how to ask good questions, and how it is not something you can do in isolation. Through my experience, I learned that problem-solving is all about being open to trying new things, working through failures, and learning from the strengths of others. Through all of that, I’ve come to enjoy the many challenges and all the creativity that come with programming.

I graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in computer science and joined the Atomic Accelerator program in the Chicago office in 2023 after completing an internship at the Ann Arbor office in 2022. In my free time, I spend many miles, hours, and playlists going on long-distance runs, which continues to teach me about perseverance and helps me become a better developer every day.