Jennie Tafoya
Longtime Moscow Resident Thrives in Computer Science Program
University of Idaho welcomes students from all over the world. Statewide, nationwide and internationally, students are eager to further their education in Moscow.
One student made her mark in the community even before attending U of I.
Jennie Tafoya is a fourth-year student majoring in computer science and minoring in mathematics and pre-health. She is planning on graduating from the College of Engineering in spring of 2024.
Tafoya attended Moscow High School before committing to U of I. Her love of the friendly campus and town encouraged her to stay in the area and pursue her degree at U of I.
“… culture was just so different, and it was very friendly,” Tafoya said. “I felt like I could really bloom and blossom here.”
When choosing her degree, Tafoya considered her upbringing. Her father collected desktop computers that she and her sister played on, exploring the science and math that went into the devices’ hardware. She knew from a young age that she wanted to study a STEM-related field. Computer science allowed Tafoya to learn more about her passions.
Outside of academics, Tafoya is involved in multiple campus organizations that fit her interests. She is chair of U of I’s chapter of the national Association for Computer Machinery. She serves as vice president of Women in Computer Science and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers. She is also a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
Tafoya works at the Office of Information Technology (OIT), formerly known as ITS. She discovered the position at a campus job fair. Tafoya uses her skills in hardware functionality to work the back end of the office as part of the “net team”. She often assists with telecommunications, sets up networking and manages hardware like switches and routers.
Tafoya thinks she hit her stride in college during her third year, when she started investigating specific career paths in computer science. This is helping her explore her post-graduation options.
“I took an electronic control unit course by Spring Software, and I realized I really liked the hardware component. That made me think about different career paths — like possibly grad school and electrical or computer engineering, or working as a hardware engineer for SEL,” Tafoya said. “I also took CS 400, a major and career exploration seminar. I realized that there were different job opportunities I could participate in, like web development, or teaching as a profession, or front and back-end development.”
She is also open to the idea of combining her work with her background and interests in psychology or the medical field.
Tafoya collaborated with Career Services on her career development, attending events and receiving advice on interview preparation, cover letter reviews and resume reviews.
“Utilize the Career Services (office),” Tafoya advised her fellow students. "Come in for applications, interview, prep, resume writing, anything goes. It doesn't take that much time and you'll get so much out of it.”
For the future, Tafoya would like to stay in the West, preferably in a technological hub like Seattle or San Francisco to pursue a job in AI, data analysis, front-end software development, app development or a similar field.
Katarina Hockema
Career Services Marketing Intern
