The AdaMarie Mirrors reflect back to us the many roads (often winding, never smooth) to success! Real stories of real women to see yourself reflected in. At first, you’ll see Hailey in this mirror, but eventually, we hope you’ll see yourself.

Welcome, Hailey Thomas!

Through perseverance and a commitment to growth, computer scientist and junior at University of Houston’s Clear Lake Hailey Thomas tells her story: the importance of balancing passion with proficiency while pursuing a career in STEM.

Getting to Know You:

Field of Work: Technology
Expertise In: Data Analytics & Big Data
Current Company: Mississippi Power
Job Title: Power Delivery Tech Support Intern
One-liner about what you’re working on: Creating dashboards for the company, collecting data, and working with ArcMap to update the map for the field crew.
Currently geeking out over: AI Advancement and Power BI Dashboards
STEM Hero: Katherine Johnson

Tell us about your professional journey – how did you get where you are now?

I went to Young Women's College Preparatory Academy (YWCPA) and learned about careers in STEM. I enjoyed building and programming LEGO robots, and having taken PAP and AP Computer Science, I found I also really enjoyed learning how to code. So, I decided I would major in Computer Science when I went to college. At first, I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree, since there are so many different things you can do with a CS degree. During my sophomore year of college, I took a few career quizzes, and thanks specifically to the Baddies in Tech career quiz, I found out that I may be interested in Data Analytics. I took an introductory course in Data Analytics, completed a few Data Analytics certifications, and ended up becoming more interested in Big Data & Data Analytics. In 2023, I attended NSBE49, where I interviewed for a Data Analytics Internship with Mississippi Power, and was offered the job. I spent the summer of 2023 in Gulfport, Mississippi, working with an incredible group of professionals who helped me develop my data analysis skills, professional development skills, and GIS knowledge. When I went back to school in Fall 2023, I declared a minor in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and worked with University of Houston Clear Lake's GIS team.

We’re also curious to know your personal story and upbringing. What has made you “you”?

Like many children, I was very ambitious and interested in a lot of career paths, and my mom was undoubtably one of my biggest supporters. She allowed me to explore different hobbies and interests that helped me discover what I was and wasn’t good at. Through that, I discovered a lot about myself. Mainly, that I wanted to pursue a career that could make a positive impact on someone, even if it’s just one person, and contribute to making lives and jobs easier.

I remember watching the movie "Hidden Figures", and in middle of it, I told myself, "I want to do that. I want to do something in STEM with computers."

I have always been a natural born problem solver, and I love puzzles and math. So, I wanted to learn how to combine my love for numbers and something else I'm good at, coding. As an alumna of the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto County, where I earned my Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards, I had a strong desire to inspire younger girls to pursue careers in STEM – something I had never had outside of my mom. Witnessing women break barriers in male-dominated environments made me want to do the same, letting other women and girls know that they are capable of being whoever they want to be, no matter what.

We know that real life isn’t a smooth and linear journey. What was your initiating moment that led you to your calling - can you tell us about that moment, what helped you move forward, what you learned/discovered?

I knew I wanted to be a woman in STEM, specifically a woman in Computer Science, when I was in middle school. I had a teacher who dedicated months to helping me pass my end of the year math exam. I knew from then on out that the more I applied myself and tried my best, the more I could learn and enhance my skills.

In high school, I noticed there was a huge difference between the amount of girls and boys in my class, and it was always weird being "the only one" in most of my advanced classes. Touring colleges across the US reinforced this feeling – I often found myself as the only women, the only Black individual, or the only Black woman in the room.

It's something I'm still getting used to as a college junior, but it underscores my capability and determination to work towards something I’m passionate about: inspiring more young women to pursue careers in STEM. Seeing other girls/women in STEM on social media or in my classes and befriending them, has definitely helped me stay motivated, especially whenever I feel like I’m getting imposter syndrome. I’ve discovered a lot about myself and my place in STEM throughout my education, and I continue to learn more every day.

You’re a working woman in a performance-driven industry. Where do you find balance?

I find balance in pursuing what excites me and utilizing my strengths.

As the technology industry grows and more technical advancements become available, it's important to develop a growth mindset about your skills and your performance at work. I try my best to stay on top of the growing industry by looking at articles or X for the latest insights. I spend time learning different coding languages to strengthen my coding skills and get the certifications I need to demonstrate my commitment to honing specific skills and knowledge in areas of high interest. I also try to complete projects to reflect my interests and strive to find balance between what I like and what I'm good at.

If you were something in Outer Space, what would you be?

If I were something in outer space, I feel like I would be a galaxy. I have so many different interests and hobbies, that I'm all over the place. I am sure that many of my distinct experiences that make me unique are probably very similar to a lot of other people's experiences. And even though some of my interests may collide or work together, I am always optimistic I’ll find additional hobbies and interests as I continue to grow.

We’d love to feature your work! How can we spread the word about what you’re doing? Some examples you might want to share:

My GitHub: haileyrthomas

My Portfolio: haileyrthomas01.github.io

My LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/haileyrthomas01