Meet Dr. Rose Shumba
Dr. Rose Shumba is an award-winning tech career strategist, Computer Science professor, and mentor who has helped 500+ adults successfully transition into fulfilling tech careers. She is currently the Head of a Computing Department, where she combines her expertise in technology with her passion for guiding career changers.
With over 20 years of experience across software engineering, academia, and cybersecurity education, Dr. Shumba has established herself as a leading voice in strategic career transitions. Her career includes roles as Full Professor of Computer Science, Director of a Center for Information Assurance, and Associate Vice Dean for Cybersecurity Programs.
Her work has been recognized with the 2024 University System of Maryland Elkins Professorship Award and featured in The New York Times, Scripps News, The Post Star, and The News & Advance.
She is the creator of the Tech Career Switch Success Systemโข, designed to help people avoid costly career change mistakes and build strategic transition plans that fit real life.
MY STORY
The Journey: How I Got Here
Mentorship started early for me. In 6th grade, I approached my teacher and asked if I could help students struggling in math. He let me tutor and even grade my classmates' papers. I learned then that helping others succeed is who I am.
But my own career path? That was far from straightforward.
I started as a software engineer, but I often felt stuck. I had a mentor who didn't invest in me, no clear growth path, and every day felt like grinding without direction. That frustration pushed me to make a risky decision: go back to graduate school.
Here's what I don't usually talk about: I started my PhD with a two-week-old baby. Daycare was expensive. We couldn't qualify for benefits. My husband wasn't happy with the decision. And I questioned myself constantly was I making a terrible mistake?
I finished the degree and joined academia, accepting a lower salary because I needed the flexibility. I became a computer science professor and eventually found my way into cybersecurity when a senior faculty member invited me into her initiatives. For the first time, I had a mentor who invested in me, met with me regularly, and believed in my growth. The contrast was night and day.
The Turning Point: Why I Built This System
But here's the part most people don't see: Despite my professional success, I endured years in environments where I felt profoundly unaccepted. I would join meetings and feel invisible. I'd try to contribute, and no one would listen. I stayed in those roles longer than I should have because I had to pay the mortgage.
That's when I realized something crucial: I had stumbled into success through luck the right mentors appearing at the right time, opportunities falling into place. But luck isn't a strategy anyone should rely on.
Today, I'm Head of a Computing Department a place where I can finally be myself and excel. I wake up passionate about what I do. I look forward to helping career changers find their path, building systems that work, and watching people transform their lives.
Over 20 years, I've helped more than 500 career changers transition into tech. I've also successfully guided my own two children into thriving tech careers. And I've worked with people from all walks of life security guards, healthcare workers, teachers helping them move into cybersecurity roles.
I don't regret a single step of my journey because it led me here. This is my calling. I'm finally in a place where my voice matters, and where I get to prevent others from experiencing what I went through.
MY VALUES
You're Not Starting Over
What I'm most proud of is when people realize they're not starting from scratch they're building on everything they already have. Your experience, your skills, your strengths they all translate into tech. My job is to help you see how.
You Cannot Rely on Luck
I got fortunate. I stumbled into mentors and opportunities. But career change shouldn't be a gamble. You need a strategic plan, clear assessment, and structured support not trial-and-error that costs thousands of dollars and years of your life.
Faith + Community Matter
My faith is central to how I mentor: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). That's why I created the Faith + Tech Career Community. Major transitions shouldn't be done alone. You need people who understand what you're going through, who will hold you accountable, and who will celebrate your wins.
This Fulfillment is What I Want for You
The joy I feel in my work now waking up passionate, looking forward to each day, being valued for who I am this is what I want for every person I mentor. Not just a job in tech. A career where you finally feel like yourself.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER
This page tells my story. If you want to understand the system I built to help career changers avoid the mistakes I see repeatedly, visit the How It Works page.
