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Margaret enjoys making quilts, crocheting, knitting, reading, and
amateur photography.
What originally sparked your interest in an IT field?
I attended the registration with two of my high school classmates.
All they could talk about was enrolling in the new data processing
degree being offered at Southeast. Their enthusiasm made me
rethink my major and I haven’t regretted making that change from
history to computer science. Computers were a novelty at that time
and Southeast had just created the data processing degree, as
well as a centralized computer center, so everything was new and
exciting to me.
Why did you decide to apply for your current position?
I’ve worked for the IT Department as a student worker, a clerical
worker, and as a programmer. In my sophomore year and about to
complete my associate’s degree, I was beginning to consider
applying for full-time jobs when one of my IT instructors asked me
if I would be interested in being a student lab assistant. This would
allow me to continue with my education at Southeast, so, of
course, I said ‘YES.’ That began my glorious career with IT. For the
next two years I punched computer cards with the programs of
fellow students, answered questions from students in the lab,
worked as a part-time computer operator, and worked for the data
control section of the computer center while I earned my first
bachelor’s degree.
In June, 1971, one the clerical staff left and the current director
offered me the position. Of course, I said ‘YES’, because this also
“Computers were a novelty at that time and
Southeast had just created the data
processing degree, as well as a centralized
computer center, so everything was new and
exciting to me.”
M
argaret E. Brickhaus, of Perryville, Missouri, is
a Senior Systems Analyst/Programmer at
Information Technology. She was a student
employee before being hired full-time. Margaret
has been with Southeast about forty-five years. She has three
degrees: an Associate of Arts in Data Processing, a Bachelor
of Science in Business Administration, and a Bachelor of
Science in Computer Science. When she isn’t working,
“Celebrations in Technology” was made by Margaret and donated
to the Information Technology Department in 2008