Watch CBS News
Name: Andrea Studzinski
Title: Technical Editor III
Education: BA in English; BA in Languages, Literatures, and Cultures from Colorado State University; in May will graduate from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an MS in Library and Information Sciences.
Company Description: Ping Identity is an identity and access management software and services production company focused on innovative solutions to give the right people access to the right information at the right time.
Tell us more about your job. As an editor, I review the content produced by the technical writers. I search for grammar and spelling errors, but also for XML tagging errors so that when the content is ready, it looks nice and standardized on the website. The idea behind my job is to make everyone think that we only have one writer who does all the work.
Why is STEM important within your industry? In software, STEM means that our engineers have the ability to build on previous knowledge and experiment with new combinations of code to create new tools that can improve the experience of millions of users worldwide, even if they don't realize that their experience has been improved. Our technology makes it so that registering for accounts and adding forms of payment to your accounts is easy and that your information stays secure. It also means that when you're doing online doctor's appointments and looking at your medical records you can know that only the necesary staff, like your doctor, see that information. For tech writing, STEM matters because having a strong STEM background makes it easier to know what words to use to communicate to users about how to use a particular tool, program, or service.
Was there a specific moment when you decided you wanted to pursue STEM as a career? I can't remember a specific moment at all, but I do remember always knowing how smart my parents are, who both have STEM degrees, and who encouraged my sister and I to try a lot of different things and to read voraciously. As a family, we played so many board games that it was just natural to think analytically, which is essential for STEM and STEAM careers. I know that at around age 7, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I love animals, but I think I must have been to Sea World at some point as a child because by 6th grade, I wanted to go into marine biology so that I could be a Sea World dolphin trainer. In high school, I loved our genetics unit in my biology class, and so I looked into what it would take to be a geneticist, and that started with a biochemistry degree.
What do you like best about your job? I like that I get to read about all of Ping's products. As an editor, I have review all the documentation for all of what we offer, so I get to have a sort of mile high view of everything, and I really like that there's always something new going on with at least one product, and there's always something new to figure out how to explain or how to rewrite or how to restructure so that it makes more sense to people.
What are the most important skills needed in your job? You have to be a strong writer - grammar, spelling, and an eye for style and using the best words possible to explain something so that you can use fewer of them.
Have there been times in your career where you've faced difficult challenges and how were you able to overcome them? Technical writing is different from other types of writing. If you choose the wrong word or if you change a verb tense, you can completely change the meaning of the sentence, and while this happens in other writing, changing the meaning in a technical documentation can create confusion at best and at worst, it can mean that someone does something wrong with the tools and potentially ruins their computer or exposes private information to hackers and other people who don't need to know that information, and that's obviously bad. So I had a lot to learn about understanding how the software works so that I could see when the suggestions I was making would lead to a change in what a user would actually be doing. To do that, I did more training about our products, and I started to ask more questions. Asking questions is now the most important part of my editorial process.
What advice would you give to girls of all ages who are interested in STEM? STEM/STEAM is the foundation of innovation, but sometimes it won't be about the innovation. Sometimes, it's routine, and that can be boring, but don't give up. Just keep trying. Try everything you can. You never know what you're going to love - science is founded on trying a lot of different things to see what works. What is life except one long science experiment? With trying, you have to not be afraid to make mistakes and to not be afraid to change your mind. And don't be afraid to find ways to make science and art work together. I'm such a fan of the newer push for STEAM because the arts are also important, and I think it reflects that science and math are often the foundation for really interesting art.Girls And Science - PING Identity
A stretch of Colfax Avenue in Lakewood has been identified as having the highest concentration of traffic related deaths and injuries in the city of Lakewood.
With potentially more smoky days on the horizon, CBS News Colorado spoke with a pulmonologist about ways you can stay safe this summer.
As summer approaches, Denverites are hitting the streets and trails, and for many residents, spiking increased interest in electric bikes.
A warehouse business went up in flames in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood of Denver on Monday evening.
Fire rescue officials said the river on Memorial Day was running just over 1,000 cubic feet per second. That's like having the force of 1,000 basketballs coming at you at once.
As summer approaches, Denverites are hitting the streets and trails, and for many residents, spiking increased interest in electric bikes.
A stretch of Colfax Avenue in Lakewood has been identified as having the highest concentration of traffic related deaths and injuries in the city of Lakewood.
CBS News Colorado answers questions from voters and taxpayers about what they'll be voting on when it comes to property taxes and what those taxes mean for them.
With potentially more smoky days on the horizon, CBS News Colorado spoke with a pulmonologist about ways you can stay safe this summer.
The Alpine Rescue Team rescued an injured backcountry skier on the northwest side of Torrey's Peak.
The Miami Heat beat the Bolton Celtics Monday night to take the Eastern Conference. Now the Denver Nuggets, in their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history, will face off against the Heat starting on Thursday, June 1.
Coloradans are already getting excited for the NBA Finals, and a new mural by a local artist has become a popular spot for a photo-op.
The Denver Nuggets' no-drama way of conducting business doesn't grab tons of headlines. But it has set the franchise up for its first NBA Finals in 47 years in the league.
Defensive back Shilo Sanders will officially follow his father and brother to Colorado from Jackson State.
Colorado Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner is slowly recovering from a concussion and fractured skull.
The National Weather Service's Cheyenne office is investigating a pair of possible tornadoes which were reported by rural residents on Saturday. Two land spouts were confirmed by the NWS in the Wyoming's largest cities days earlier.
President Biden went to Arlington National Cemetery to laud the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who died fighting for their country.
Russia's war in Ukraine is spurring investments in renewable energy, but the world still must scale back fossil fuels to meet climate goals, energy group says.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden will now have to sell their debt ceiling deal to lawmakers.
According to the National Parks Service, a white buffalo calf is "the most sacred living thing on Earth" to some Native American tribes.
Former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney blasted Republicans raising fears about college students voting and implored new graduates not to compromise truths in a commencement speech at her alma mater.
President Biden went to Arlington National Cemetery to laud the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who died fighting for their country.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden will now have to sell their debt ceiling deal to lawmakers.
The Kremlin is upset with remarks the South Carolina senator made about Ukraine.
Turkey's Supreme Election Council chairman said Erdogan had received 52.14% of the votes.
With potentially more smoky days on the horizon, CBS News Colorado spoke with a pulmonologist about ways you can stay safe this summer.
The lawsuit -- filed this week in Denver District Court -- alleges that drivers urinated in bottles and defecated in dog waste bags in their delivery vans to ensure that they did not face discipline for failing to stay on pace with their deliveries.
Charleigh Chatterton gave birth to her daughter with no complications. Days later, her "chances of survival were slim" after she got a rash "as hot to touch as a boiled kettle," she said.
Toxic microplastics from everyday items like water bottles and clothing have been discovered in several major Colorado waterways, and it is local high school and college students who have made the discovery.
According to researchers and medical experts with UCHealth in northern Colorado, the number of young adults experiencing strokes in the region has nearly doubled in the last three to five years.
While fans wait for the much-anticipated grand reopening of Casa Bonita, they can enjoy a delicious craft beer in its honor from a patio just a few feet away.
Russia's war in Ukraine is spurring investments in renewable energy, but the world still must scale back fossil fuels to meet climate goals, energy group says.
From Ford's Edsel to bottled water with flavoring for pets, notorious corporate and marketing missteps are featured in a traveling exhibition, "The Museum of Failure," now on display in Brooklyn.
No, we still don't know when Casa Bonita will hold their grand reopening, but you can now jump on their waiting list.
Two billboards went up this week in Denver advertising Casa Bonita. They are located along Colfax Avenue close to Empower Field at Mile High.
KIPP Colorado, a network of free college-preparatory public charter schools, is increasing pay to ensure that educators are compensated fairly and transparently.
With graduation season upon us, many graduates may be rethinking their future plans following the pandemic. Some may wonder whether or not it's worth the cost to pursue a college degree.
Dozens of Denver residents are experiencing homelessness and other challenges when it comes to affordable housing. Those individuals now have an outlet to get back on their feet.
Colorado's Property Tax Deferral Programs have traditionally helped seniors and active military personnel continue to afford to live in their homes by deferring the payment of their property taxes. This service was expanded this year.
The latest report for the first quarter of 2023 shows that Colorado recorded 55,787 new entity filings, posting the largest quarter in the report's history