March 08, 2024 – Mary Holmquist’s goal is to keep people comfortable.
Holmquist is the building systems controls integrator with the Columbus City Schools Buildings and Grounds department. In this role, she monitors heating and cooling systems across the District through computer science data. Despite the complexity of the subject, the purpose of what she does is simple.
“The main goal is to provide a comfortable temperature for all of the school buildings,” Holmquist explained. “[With our technology,] we can see all of the information about a building. If everything is working correctly, it’s like being on site.”
The technology gives Holmquist eyes on a building without actually having to be there. With over 113 buildings District-wide, this is not only a huge time-saver, it also allows the Buildings and Grounds team to get ahead of potential problems before they negatively affect the school day.
For example, if a boiler at an elementary school has an issue overnight, instead of finding out that there’s a problem with the heating system when staff begin to arrive for the day, Holmquist is alerted the moment the issue arises. She can diagnose the problem and dispatch a team member to fix the problem all before students and teachers get into the building. This allows learning to continue uninterrupted.
Holmquist said issues such as these are what she likes about her job. She’s a problem-solver, and she finds great satisfaction in utilizing her critical thinking skills to fix things.
“I like solving the puzzles,” she said. “I feel good about the work that I do. I always try to make things better than they were when I get to them. It’s fulfilling work, even if things don’t always work exactly as I expect them to.”
Holmquist wasn’t always in the computer science field. She went to school for biology before deciding to go back and get a degree in computer science, something she was initially hesitant to do.
According to an analysis by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, only approximately 20% of computer science undergraduate degrees in the United States go to women. However, Holmquist didn’t let this deter her from pursuing something she enjoyed doing.
After joining the workforce, however, she realized computer science was something she was passionate about, and resolved to go into the field.
And it’s that advice – to follow your passions – that she would give to any young woman considering pursuing any career in STEM, like computer science.
“I absolutely loved what I learned [for my computer science degree;] it’s incredibly interesting to me,” she said. “If there’s something you’re passionate about, it’s what you have to do.”
March is Women’s History Month! Columbus City Schools thanks all of the incredible women who go above and beyond for the students of this District to succeed every day.
