Twelve years ago, I graduated with my Master’s Degree from East Carolina University. And it wasn’t in Computer Science or anything remotely related to technology. I’m the proud owner of a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

For those who don’t know, I spent the first six years of my grown-up-career life as a Speech-Language Pathologist, working with adult patients in acute care settings. I loved the patient care, even though it could be emotionally difficult. I had the privilege of working with some of the most resilient people I’ve ever met—witnessing their strength as they overcame incredible obstacles. I had the opportunity to apply clinical problem-solving to create diagnoses, prognoses, and treatment plans, always keeping my patients’ individual goals and quality of life at the center of everything.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love working within the healthcare system. After several years, I realized I couldn’t make a sustainable long-term career out of it. Still, my passion for healthcare—and a desire to make it better—led me to a coding bootcamp. Six and a half years later, I’m still lucky enough to be at Relias, where I help connect healthcare professionals with top-tier educational resources and tools that make a real difference.

One of the things that almost held me back from making the leap to tech was my Master’s degree. I had invested years of time and a lot of money into earning it. I worried it would be a sunk cost—a credential that was now irrelevant.

Or… was it?

Sure, the intricacies of laryngeal nerves and tracheostomy care don’t show up in my day-to-day work anymore. But a graduate degree is about much more than memorizing clinical protocols.

Here’s what else that degree gave me:

• Research literacy: I learned how to evaluate sources, synthesize information, and apply evidence-based methods—skills I now use in technical investigations and strategic planning.
• Critical thinking under pressure: Whether it was managing a stroke patient’s cognitive recovery or debugging a legacy integration system, the ability to assess, analyze, and act is foundational.
• Communication with empathy: Working with patients taught me to deliver difficult news with compassion, adjust my style based on the audience, and truly listen—something I rely on heavily in management today.
• Goal-oriented planning: Building measurable therapy goals for patients is surprisingly similar to setting OKRs or team goals in engineering. You need to start with the end in mind and work backward to create a practical path forward.

My experience working in healthcare also directly informs what I love most about being a manager. I thrive on building relationships rooted in trust and empathy. I’m deeply motivated by aligning people’s individual aspirations with broader team and business goals. I understand the emotional component of work and how much it matters to feel heard, supported, and challenged at the right times. Just like in clinical settings, I strive to create environments where people feel safe to grow—but I also know when to step in, ask the hard questions, and help someone level up.

Twelve years ago, Ashley had no clue she’d end up here. And that’s kind of incredible.

So here’s a reminder—don’t box yourself in because of the sunk cost fallacy. Your past experience isn’t wasted. It’s raw material. You can shape it into something new. Even if the path forward isn’t crystal clear yet, every step builds on the last.

You just have to start walking.