Meet the face
behind the boldness
Since Shalewa was a little girl she always had a passion for technology, even before it was called technology. Instead of asking for dolls for Christmas she wanted train sets. She enjoyed taking things apart just to see if she could figure out how to put them back together.
She graduated from N.C. Central University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a minor in Physics. Having a love for Math, algorithms and dealing with numbers her career path after college was to go into Cryptology at NSA. NSA sponsored her and granted her with a Top Secret SSBI/SCI Lifestyle poly clearance. Her 1st year after receiving her bachelor’s degree, she began taking graduate level classes in Software Engineering and started her 1st full time job as an analyst. This is what started her down the path of being a computer programmer.
After getting a taste of technology, she began her specialization in the technology industry as a Fortran Programmer and then moved on in her career using many different programming languages performing Database Administration on many different database platforms. After 10 years as a programmer her career shifted into being a System Analyst. Severn years later she became a Business Analyst so that she could become more intimate with the clients she worked with to view application development from the perspective of the business. Her success in the other positions allowed her to shift into her most recent role as an Automated Test Engineer. Over Shalewa’s career she has held positions in each aspect of the Software lifecycle.
Shalewa is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a member of Women in Cyber Security Mid-Atlantic, a member of the NAACP and a member of many diversity committees within her company. She is a mother of two teenagers and an advocate for individuals with learning disabilities. 5 years ago, Shalewa started a women’s organization that focuses on nurturing, educating, and transforming women of color into sophisticated, cultured women who own property, are health conscious and have financial security. The organization gives the woman the opportunities to come together and discuss issues and concerns that most women go through and struggle on their own. This organization represents a safe zone for women to share and get sisterly feedback and guidance.
Most recently Shalewa has started a business of her own called STEMly Bold. With this business Shalewa does many speaking engagements across many levels such as middle schools, high schools, corporate environments, and state government. Her objective with this business endeavor is to encourage, inspire and motivate young girls and young women to “COME into STEM”, “GROW in STEM” and “STAY in STEM”. In Shalewa’s spare time she enjoys watching movies with her children, attending their sport tournaments (basketball and Volleyball) and choreographing fashion shows or dance recitals.
