29-year-old Keelia Estrada Moeller is not your typical mainframer. Seven years ago, she wasn’t even planning on working in the mainframe industry. “I was on course to get my PhD and teach English the rest of my life,” Estrada Moeller says.

That all changed, however, after she took an internship at an agency and was assigned to work on IBM Systems magazine — where she learned about (and quickly took to) the mainframe. “One of my first big assignments thrust me into an interview with five senior executives at a SHARE — including Greg Lotko, who I now work with,” she recounts.

Although she was initially nervous, Estrada Moeller loved the interview and writing process, and appreciated how supportive her subject matter experts were of her career aspirations. A few months later, she was hired as managing editor of the publication to officially begin her mainframe career — and the rest is history.

By 2021 she had moved up to senior editor for TechChannel (an independent IT publication), and by 2023 she joined Broadcom Mainframe Software as a marketing content specialist. “Seven years later, I'm totally drinking the mainframe Kool-Aid,” she says with a laugh.

It wasn’t always that way. “I had no idea what a mainframe was when I started,” Estrada Moeller remembers. “At first, I viewed my work for IBM Systems magazine as a steppingstone — a way to pay the bills on the path to becoming a college professor,” she says. But the more Estrada Moeller worked on the mainframe and learned about the platform’s global impact — the more she realized this was a career trajectory she wanted to stay on.

Few children say, “When I grow up, I want to work with mainframes.” Estrada Moeller wasn’t one of them either. But here she is today, taking every opportunity she can to encourage those she meets to start a first, second (or however many) career in the mainframe ecosystem — and experience the same rewards that she has.

“Mainframers aren't just computer geniuses or programmer prodigies who don't welcome other skill sets,” Estrada Moeller says. “It’s actually quite the opposite. Everyone I work with is incredibly talented, and I work with experts in so many fields. They have been incredibly supportive and encouraging. On top of that, there’s lots of momentum in mainframe community right now to make a career on the platform appealing to people from all walks of life, not just IT. This is an industry that caters to many backgrounds, roles, and career paths.”

In this industry, Estrada Moeller puts her English chops to good use, writing and creating content for Broadcom Mainframe Software. “It’s been an amazing experience that has helped me grow, while also working alongside people who support my passion for family and athletics.”

So what made Estrada Moeller change her mind and abandon her childhood dream of becoming an English professor? “PhDs are not designed for working professionals,” she says. “While trying to juggle a career, my PhD program, and my athletic pursuits in the sport of strongman, I was forced to reevaluate what I was doing.”

In a moment of clarity, Estrada Moeller witnessed how supportive her fellow mainframers were of all her pursuits. “They worked with me and supported my education and well-rounded passions every step of the way,” she says. “But the university didn’t. For them, my PhD was all or nothing. I realized I wasn’t happy in that world.”

So Estrada Moeller made the difficult decision to pivot after coming so close. She even approached her grandfather — a PhD and long-time neurologist at the university she was attending — to share the news she thought would surely disappoint him. “He said he could never be disappointed and was proud of the path I had chosen.”

Changing dreams in the middle of life is never easy. It takes guts. Bravery. But it ultimately led to greater fulfillment, in Estrada Moeller’s case. “I decided early on to learn from my failures rather than wallow in them,” she says. “I was introverted and shy growing up, but I’ve worked hard to develop my confidence and relationships.”

When she first got her start in mainframes, “There weren’t many women and were even fewer people my age,” she admits, which was isolating and intimidating, but ultimately motivating her to become an even bigger contributor. “My boss was a huge help in supporting me during that time.”

As a way to pay it forward, Estrada Moeller is doing just that for others today. “I hope my story can serve as inspiration for others to start a career with mainframes, which is a breath of fresh air. For anyone on the fence, my advice is to be open to anything, wherever your path may take you. Don’t be afraid to fail, because you can always move on from failure. And leverage the many mentorship opportunities with mainframes to help you succeed.”

With that, I give Estrada Moeller the final word. “You can do this,” she says. “There are so many aspects and ways to work in this industry to feel valued and respected. Because of this, when people go mainframe, they tend to stay.”

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of something that contributes to modern society in such an ever present, underlying, and meaningful way?