SXU Alum A Leader In IT, Volunteers To Help Young Women In Field

CHICAGO, IL - A Saint Xavier University alum who is part of a far smaller than ideal percentage of women in the Information Technology field is helping build the future by helping younger women get involved with IT.

Since moving to Denver and working full-time for the Burwood Group, an IT consulting and integration firm, Melissa Schwass has volunteered as the volunteer director for ChickTech, which holds seminars for young women entering the IT field. The group celebrated its Denver kickoff in January with a weekend of free seminars on robotics, 3D printing, JAVA scripting, soft circuits and other topics. She will be involved with her second seminar of that kind this weekend on Saturday, Feb. 24.

"I've been in IT for 10 years now and it's a great network of people, but it's mostly men," said Schwass, who earned a bachelor's degree from SXU in 2008 before earning a Master's from her home town Aurora University. "It was actually at Burwood where I first worked for a female leader. I'm grateful to be with a company that encourages growing their female workplace."

So it's no surprise that Burwood is completely behind Schwass' involvement with ChickTech.

"It's important to get young females in the market, which is lopsided toward men right now," Schwass said. "They need to know that there is a support system out there and opportunities for education."

She credits her father for pushing her to succeed.

"He always encouraged me to work hard at what you do and follow with your word," she said.

Schwass was an SXU student for all four of her undergrad years, earning a degree in industrial organizational psychology. Originally set to attend Southern Illinois University, she had a last minute change of heart entering college and decided to accept a scholarship that was offered based on her high school grades and her being a member of the SXU band.

She minored in music and still plays the saxophone to this day.

Photo courtesy of Burwood Group