Cathy Dean This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Valley native makes bet on career change - PittsburghLIVE.com

   www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribu - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/1/2006   Last Visited: 1/1/2006

   Cathy Dean channeled a desire to change her life into a new job that has done just that.
   
   Dean, 38, decided to return to college at age 34 and went to California University. She graduated last month with a degree in computer information science.
   ...
   In addition to getting a new job, Dean also earned Cal U's 2005 Computer Science Award. When she graduated last month, Dean had accumulated a 3.96 GPA, the highest among all computer science and computer systems graduates.
   
   "Cathy is an exceptional young lady," said George Novak, longtime math and computer science professor at Cal U who coordinated Dean's internship that resulted into a full-time job.
   ...
   Dean said she was surprised to win the prestigious award.
   
   "I never expected it," she admitted. "I had no idea."
   
   "I just wanted to improve my life and change my life," she said.
   
   She and her husband, Robert, have two children, Christie, 17, and Ryan, 11.
   
   A 1985 graduate of Charleroi Area High School, she is the daughter of Arthur and Catherine Balieu, of Stockdale.
   
   Prior to returning to college she worked for 17 years at Monongahela Valley Hospital as a certified phlebotomist.