Aeon William's Career Pathway

Modern Maker Aeon Williams writes computer code for Spark Photonics, a member of the AIM Photonics manufacturing institute, which helps design photonic devices and circuits that are miniaturized onto the surface of a semiconductor chip.

Printable version of Aeon's career pathway.

 

 

Continue scrolling to see Aeon's career pathway.

Aeon's pathway starts like so many others - with interests and opportunities that guide first steps in any number of directions.

As a homeschooled student, Aeon had the opportunity to take a programming class at age 11, which focused on game development. She says it was the first time she really had an idea of what her future career might look like.

Meanwhile, Aeon's interest in Gaming increased skills in areas like Critical Thinking and Concentration, among others.

These skills helped guide her to her next step.

“I didn’t know what programming was until I took that class,” she says. “But after that, I knew that I really wanted to do programming for the rest of my life. I pursued it at a high school program at a local college, called the DigiPen Institute of Technology.

During the program, Aeon learned her programming skills could be used for computer science and machine learning.
In addition to gaming and time outdoors, Aeon enjoys crafting, especially cosplay, which involves taking a variety of materials to craft costumes and accessories to create characters.
Crafting builds Aeon's skills in Creativity and Design.

These early experiences and interests led Aeon to pursue undergraduate studies in computer science.

“I think the reason that I love crafting is also the reason that I love programming,” she says. “It's all kind of cut from the same cloth in my brain.”
"Now in my career, I get to use the same approach to take a 2D design and then follow all the steps to make that design a reality.”

She worked in game testing as a way to make ends meet. But while she enjoyed gaming as a hobby, she said the technology was not allowing her to use her full potential.

"I could see so many uses for this field that went way beyond gaming limitations. I began gravitating towards Python, which is now the standard programming for manufacturing operations. And it's also crossing over into other applications, including photonics!"

Aeon says she's building her skill sets every day in the world of photonics, where her job is evolving on a daily basis. She has to force herself to take breaks because her job doesn't feel like work.

"You need to be able to talk to people and you need to do things that are not purely technical," she says. "I think engaging in hobbies and socializing is super important to developing a career."
Where will Aeon's pathway lead her next?