Page 5 - The MILConnection Spring 2022

Sonya moved from what is now PwC to a position which While Sonya recognizes that social injustice and inequality
allowed her to learn and use Oracle financial software at in America is still a societal issue, she believes we are all
the Department of Education. As a Product Manager in capable of finding our commonality and humanity to come
application development, her technical team provided closer together. She recalls how in the months after 9/11,
solutions to customer issues and Sonya tested the solution. It the entire country came together and used kindness and a
was this experience that opened the door for her role at MIL, sense of shared purpose to communicate and exist with each
where she has been for nearly 17 years. other. Sonya believes we CAN get to that place again, that it
exists naturally within us, without having to have a national
Sonya credits her success to the incredible people who took
emergency or disaster to bring out that side of us all. She
the time to teach her the finer nuances to both the technical
hopes to continue serving others whether it be on her team,
aspects of her work as well as the underlying business side as
mentoring others, or volunteering on the AGA committee.
she grew into leadership roles. She states that strong mentors
Sonya’s next goal is to become an MIL Vice President through
were instrumental in keeping her motivated to seek new
strong participation in business development opportunities
challenges and accept new roles. She also credits her optimism
driving growth for our firm.
as a factor in her success and wants to be a positive role model
and mentor for the next generation entering the business
world.

Jacquelyn Cunningham supports the U.S. Department
of State in Charleston as a technical writer on the Systems
Coordination and Implementation (SCI) team. Jacquelyn
is originally from Cross, SC and has an eclectic collection
of accolades and achievements from every stage of her life.
After graduating Valedictorian in high school, she earned
her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics (magnum
cum laude) from South Carolina State University, and then
her Master’s in Technology Management from the University
of Maryland. Jacquelyn holds a variety of professional
certificates, which demonstrate her ability to serve as liaison
across functional and technical fields to provide expertise and
direction in problem-solving and creative designs.
Jacquelyn recognized her talent for connecting dots and one of the first computer labs at the University of South
patterns over long periods of time and creating viable Carolina. Realizing students using the newest technologies
solutions without having to see an example of a product or would need to save images, documents, and spreadsheets and
design concept. She prides herself in her ability to navigate be able to transfer those pieces from the lab to the dorm and
various industries as a problem solver and credits her ability back to the lab (pre-internet era). She pitched the concept to
to listen (and hear) her customers’ requirements and quickly a major design group and helped create the first generations
identify viable solutions and the resources needed to resolve of mini-disk—starting with the ability to store a whopping
issues and challenges. This includes her greatest challenge 128k of data, and eventually up to 1 gig! Jacquelyn founded
over her many years of professional experience: often being the INFOTECH conference which brought IT users together
the only female in a room full of engineers, academics, or with technology and technologists to launch university-wide
corporate leaders—as well as the only African American. Her innovations across various functions and disciplines.
natural ability to ask thoughtful and detailed questions and
Jacquelyn’s advice to young professionals coming into their
then provide creative and effective solutions has led her to be
fields of expertise is, regardless of your background, identify
sought after on high level projects, college administrations,
your natural talents and leverage those to gain experience,
and corporate decision-makers.
education, skills, and opportunities. She credits the challenges
Jacquelyn has found that most of the time, the problem has in her life for putting her in interesting positions which led
nothing to do with personnel, but with technology…whether to opportunities and professional relationships. Jacquelyn
it was an email not sent, a server issue, or the end user not urges young professionals to combine their natural talents
understanding the full capability of what the technology could and abilities to their education and professional training—
do, she is able to help them articulate the problem and then two things that nobody can ever take from you. She notes
transfer her experience from one industry to another. She has that building skills that allow you to connect to others in an
experience as a mathematician, scientific programmer, and authentic way will open doors, and ears, and a continuous
most recently, technical writing for the SCI team and DoS. chain of opportunities.
One of her greatest achievements includes identifying the
basic need for portable mass storage while helping to build

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