Elizabeth Dye walked away from an established art career to focus on earning her degree in computer technology.
Elizabeth, whose career included everything from custom illustration and design to oil and acrylic paintings for both commission and general sale, wanted a more stable career and found technology to be a good fit for her.
“Art is fun and relaxing, and I wanted to keep it that way—a hobby rather than my day-to-day job,” she says. “Art is unsteady in terms of income whereas technology is a need that keeps growing.”
Elizabeth is majoring in Computer Engineering Technology and recently accepted a software technical support job at GE Healthcare.
After working for several years as an artist, Elizabeth wanted to go back to school to explore a career in information technology.
“I was an alternative student coming back to school after several years of work experience and an established art career,” she says. “I knew where I wanted to go and needed the tools to get there.”
A mother of a 7-year-old daughter, Elizabeth needed to work full-time for most of her time at Vermont Tech.
“It was tricky to get all my work done, and I had to make a lot of sacrifices, “ she says. “But I found that the Vermont Tech faculty make it possible by being supportive, understanding, and flexible.”