ODTUG 2020 Women in Technology Scholar

We are pleased to announce the 2020 Women in Technology (WIT) Scholar – Evelyn Bolton, IT tech lead at TTI Floorcare. Haven't heard of TTI Floorcare? It owns three of the biggest names in floor care: Hoover, Dirt Devil, and Oreck.

Evelyn is our kind of woman! She’s been getting down and dirty with technology since she was a girl. “I think it started when my parents bought a run-down house in South Central L.A.,” she said. “I used to love crawling under the house to help my dad fix the plumbing and electrical.” She was smart, inquisitive and determined. Good at math and science, she decided in high school that she wanted to become an engineer and she made that dream come true. After graduating from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo she got a job at Lockheed as a manufacturing engineer. “One of my first projects was to learn how to program a new piece of equipment – fun!”  

At her next job Evelyn fell in love – with dBaseIII, which she used for capturing and reporting patient data. In the mid-90s she began working with Oracle Technology. “I have never looked back!” she said. “I really enjoyed the creativity and challenges of the entire SDLC process.” Today she is responsible for customizations, integrations, upgrades, and technical and functional support. 

WIT Scholars are asked to mentor and inspire other women in technology. Evelyn can and will do both. “I truly believe I could be a great ambassador for WIT,” she said. “I have worked in manufacturing, healthcare, entertainment, retail, and logistics from the West Coast to the East Coast and I have a lot of tips, tricks, and stories to share. Growing up in Los Angeles, I was around a lot of strong, independent women. Unfortunately, their lack of education meant low wages with little opportunity. I want to help women achieve their goals through education and careers in technology.” 

Often the only girl in many of her engineering classes, Evelyn says it never occurred to her that she didn't belong there. Although there are more women in technology today, those numbers aren’t what they should be. “Our world is changing and I believe technology is one of the best careers for women,” she said. “Not only is the pay equality better than most industries, the ability to work from home also allows women the opportunity and flexibility they need to be working parents.”

Evelyn’s teenage daughters inspire her. She says she wants to be a role model for them and other girls and women who want to work in technology. She is so passionate about the way working in IT changed her life that she started teaching computer classes at night at the local community college. “I wanted to show these often disadvantaged students that if I could do it, anyone could! I am proud of the work I have done throughout my career,” she said. We’re also proud of Evelyn and are delighted to honor her as this year’s WIT Scholar.