Ideas born from diversity
Many years ago, Marcela took a bold step: she moved from her hometown of Medellín, Colombia, to Spain to pursue her career, before moving on to the Netherlands. Ultimately, she found an environment at the ZHAW that inspires her through its dynamism and diversity, where she can build bridges between software and people.
Marcela’s story
Discover what shaped Marcela, how she came to join us and how her experiences have sharpened her focus on breaking down technological barriers.
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Profile
At the ZHAW since: 2019
Position: Head of Software Engineering at the School of Engineering
Education: PhD in Computer Science, Universitat Politècnica de València
First career aspiration: Software engineer
Story
Diversity is what makes life interesting! After all, what would winter be without summer? I grew up in Medellín, the “city of eternal spring.” The idea of seasons was something I knew only from films. When I experienced snow and Christmas in Switzerland for the first time, I felt like a child full of dreams once again.
My first role model in computer science was my aunt. She was a software engineer: elegant, fascinating and surrounded by brilliant female colleagues. I wanted that life too! The reason I am here today is my curiosity and a decision I had exactly four days to make: a professor offered me a scholarship in Spain. I was afraid, but my grandmother told me: “You’re young, you have no obligations. Go! Explore new countries and cultures!” So, for the very first time in my life, I boarded a plane. That courage to set out on a new path has shaped my journey – from Colombia to Spain, then to the Netherlands, and finally to Switzerland.
The work carried out here at a university of applied sciences is incredibly dynamic. We are closely connected to industry and have access to a wealth of empirical data that fuels my creativity. Through my specialism in “low-code, no-code,” I build technological bridges: I want to create an environment in which technology professionals and complete novices can collaborate, and where even people with no programming knowledge can build their own software.
The best and most creative results invariably emerge when a wide variety of influences and ways of thinking come together to create something new. That is the true power of diversity: when worlds collide and new ideas are born. For me, this diversity is life’s greatest enrichment – in code just as much as in the changing seasons and in my own life.