Hi, I'm Monica!
I'm a former data engineer turned product manager at Starburst, where I have the privilege of working with the amazing Trino community.
The Journey
I went to the University of Texas at Dallas for my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, where I was introduced to programming through the classic exercise of creating shapes with asterisks. My junior year, I landed an internship at USAA — partially because of my love for Sudoku — and was amazed by the job possibilities I didn't even know existed in the software space.
After graduating in May 2019, I started my career in the data world doing data movement and ETL pipelines. In December 2021, I completed my Master's in Systems Engineering and Management, also from UTD. I've spent my career being a continuous learner, soaking up knowledge about all things data and tech.
These days, I work as a product manager but my heart is still in the data engineering trenches. I love teaching, mentoring, speaking at conferences, and writing about my experiences in the data space.
Fast Facts
I have a cockapoo named Phoebe, a husband named Edmund, and the three of us share a love of food, walks, and time with family and friends.
I played goalkeeper for UTD's NCAA women's soccer team and hold a conference record and multiple school records.
I'm deaf in my left ear - yes, I wore hearing aids to school for a bit!
My first name is my mom's middle name, and my middle name is a feminized version of my dad's name.
I'm a continuous learner who went from Sudoku-loving intern to data engineer to product manager.