Attendee: Franciea Young

As a native Washingtonian and Marylander, I graduated from University of Maryland, College Park Campus with a B.S. in Computer Science in December 1989. I lived on the College Park campus and worked on the College Park Campus in the McKeldin Graduate Library as a Library Computer Assistant for the Graduate Reserves and its computer lab. My first position within the federal government was as an entry-level Computer Specialist with the National Science Foundation Agency, with the Grants Office.

I currently serve as a Technical Application Developer within the IRS Information Technology, Applications Development, Modernized Electronic Filing Branch of the Business Master File (BMF) 1041 Team of the Submission Processing Domain. I have served w/ the IRS for 15 years,
within Applications Development, starting as an entry level Computer Specialist/Programmer Analyst and rising up the Journey-man level to my current position as a senior professional.
I also served as a Systems Acceptability Tester within IRS System Acceptability Testing (SAT)
, Century Date Change, End to End, Year 2000 Compliance of IRS Critical Systems.
I have been honored w/ being awarded in 2013 the IRS Deputy Commissioners of Operation Beth Tucker Award as a member of the Extenders Legislation Team (BMF ELF 1041) and in 08/24/2009 the Commissioners of Wage and Investment Division Richard Byrd Award as a member of the Economic Challenge Team (Taxpayer Delinquent Account (TDA)).

I have been able to give back and make a contribution to the IRS Agency as a mentor; inspiring new recruits, interns, and employees to strive to reach their full potential, as a Federal Career Intern Program Coach (FCIP) and a Career Advancement Development Employee Program (CADE) Coach. I have also been able to encourage others in the difference they can make to
help someone in need, by serving as a Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Coordinator and Keyworker. Also I serve as an Alternate Captain for the IRS Occupational Emergency Program (OEP), where my main goal is the safety of others within the IRS Community including all visitors and workers within the IRS New Carrollton Federal Building (NCFB).

I have also been able to give back through Music as the soloist of the 2010 Women’s History Month Program of the Federal Employed Women (FEW/IRS) for the Internal Revenue Service and the 2006 Black History Month Program of the Association for Improvement of Minorities (AIM/IRS) and the Blacks In Government (BIG/IRS) Chapters of the Internal Revenue Service. In my service from 2006 to 2007, I was a member of the Board of Directors of the Prince Georges County Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Foundation, a non-Profit Organization for fundraising of scholarships and community outreach of the Prince Georges County Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

I currently attend Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering, Engineering for Professionals, where as a graduate student, I am studying in a Master of Science degree program in Computer Science. My goal in obtaining this degree is to teach within the IRS National Training Center to continue to give back and make a contribution to the IRS agency as a mentor inspiring new recruits, interns, and employees to strive to reach their full potential, achieving their goals and overcome obstacles they may face within their Careers. Also, to teach as an Associate Professor at the Community College level within the Software Engineering Area of Computer Science; specifically in the Computer Science bridge program that joins the Prince Georges Community College with the University Of Maryland, College Park Campus’s Computer Science curriculum. Obtaining this experience, my goal is to later teach as a Professor at the University Of Maryland, University College, University Of Maryland College Park Campus, and/or Johns Hopkins University in the Software Engineering Area within Computer Science.

As an African American woman, I have faced obstacles and was able to overcome them and turn them into forward movements and achieve goals through perseverance, strength, the love of my Lord Jesus Christ, and a supporting group of mentors and advisors that inspired me in my Career and Study. Two main women who have supported me through-out my Career and Study have been my Mother (a Delta Dear), Joan Shaw, a former Senior Manager & FOIA Officer and Congressional Liaison of the Director of the Office of Surface Mining, Department of Interior and my University of Maryland, College Park, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Dr. Thelma Williams.
I will continue to give back and encourage, especially other African American women, women, and minorities, who are under- represented within the Computer Science and Information Technology Technical Track Areas, that they can make a difference and overcome obstacles in their pathway in achieving their goals and dreams.