You may have noticed over the past few years quite a bit of exciting change at CSTA. New programs, enhanced membership benefits and chapter support, and a dynamic annual conference are a result of increased investment from partners in the CS community to support the strategic development of a CSTA that more broadly supports a wide range of teacher needs.
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You may have noticed over the past few years quite a bit of exciting change at CSTA. New programs, enhanced membership benefits and chapter support, and a dynamic annual conference are a result of increased investment from partners in the CS community to support the strategic development of a CSTA that more broadly supports a wide range of teacher needs. I’m excited to support that growth in my role as CSTA’s first appointed Board Treasurer.
I joined the CS community eight years ago from the business side to help organizations that serve CS students and teachers to grow at massive scale to match the global appetite for high-quality CS curriculum, professional development, and advocacy. My work has spanned finance, operations, fundraising, legal and compliance, HR, and event management as a member of executive leadership teams.
This work led me to CSTA, first as a staff member, and most recently, in my current role on the Board, overseeing the financial health of the organization. I lead the Board’s Audit Committee, and liaise with CSTA’s staff and external audit firm to help ensure CSTA remains financially stable into the future. I’m excited about CSTA’s current financial position as a result of strong leadership and internal financial practices. This stability will allow CSTA to continue to expand the ways we can meet the needs of CS teachers over time.
Outside my role at CSTA, I am the Chief Operating Officer of Unreasonable Group, a global private equity firm that supports entrepreneurs whose growth-stage companies are trying to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges such as developing innovations to improve global health, accelerating clean energy and sustainable agricultural technologies, and connecting remote microenterprises to the global digital economy, all enabled through the use of CS and technology. Companies, even in the most remote areas of the world, succeed through the distributed use and creation of technology which would not be possible without the work of CS teachers!
I became involved with CS education as a natural offshoot of my own interest and experiences in creating robust and equitable educational opportunities for students. I love to experience learning through the lens of students and support and celebrate those “light bulb” moments when an elusive concept is finally understood. CS is one area where students can tap into their own creativity and natural skills to see the world through a new critical lens, to evaluate their work and the work of others objectively, and to use that knowledge to create a future for themselves that is meaningful and bright.
My own passion for education dates back to first grade when my first non-family hero, a teacher, unlocked the world of learning for me by instilling a love of words and numbers. I’ve spent all the years in between as a voracious learner, creative solutioner, and committed advocate for students and teachers. Teachers are still my heroes, and their value to the community has only grown this year as they’ve pivoted their teaching to meet such a wide variety of student needs in remote and socially distanced in-person environments. I look forward to continuing to support the CS community through my role on the board throughout my term.
Michelle PageCSTA Board Treasurer