Leslie Mollica (left) poses with her son, Lucas (middle left), daughter, Asher (middle right), and husband, Lucas (right).Throughout her time as a self-described “nonconventional student” at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Leslie Mollica embraced opportunities when they emerged and always stayed open to possibilities.

“It is never too late to start something new,” said Mollica, a senior earning a B.A. in Computer Science—and a Minor in Business—who will graduate in August 2024. “When you say ‘yes’ …  opportunities open to you that you can’t even imagine in your wildest dreams.”

As Mollica learned along the way, saying “yes” can come with some uncertainty, as well as some serendipitous twists and turns.

Mollica graduated from Oak Mountain High School in 2004, and, 11 years later, she enrolled at UAB. At the time, the university was conveniently located near her home in downtown Birmingham, which was appealing. She registered for a slate of core courses and decided to hold on declaring a major.

“I wasn’t sure about the direction that I was heading,” said Mollica.

Even though her major was unclear, she still leaned into the experience and successfully navigated her first year at UAB. During that same year, she met her husband and decided to start a family, resulting in a brief pause to her college career.

During her break from college, Mollica and her husband traveled, started a life together, and had two kids. It was a joyful period, but, after a few years, she and her husband looked to the future and decided that in order to achieve their long-term goals, they would both need to go back to college.

“I decided to go to Jefferson State Community College … [and] went down the nutrition path for a little while,” Mollica said.

It wasn’t nutrition that captured her interest at Jeff State, though. Instead, it was a web design class that she took as an elective.

“I fell in love with it—it was so much fun,” said Mollica. “The professor that I had was so supportive and so encouraging … [he told me] I’d be really good at computer science.”

Mollica ran with his recommendation and started researching nearby computer science programs. Coincidentally, she found herself back at the university where it all started—UAB. Along with its academic offerings, UAB also fulfilled some practical considerations for her.

“I was living—at the time—north of the city, and UAB was near my children’s school, it was near my husband’s work, and it had been a school that I had already been to,” Mollica said.

Her second experience at UAB was much different from her first, though, because she enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic and had to participate in her first few classes remotely. Thankfully, as the pandemic began to wane, Mollica found herself back in the classroom alongside her new classmates, and, in very little time, a community began to form.

“The students I was enrolled with were supportive, outgoing and friendly,” said Mollica.

In addition to the welcoming students, Mollica also found the faculty members and their respective courses to be engaging and helpful. She particularly enjoyed courses with Mahmut Unan, Ph.D.; Ragib Hasan, Ph.D.; and Amber Wagner, Ph.D. Wagner’s project-based capstone class, in particular, stood out to Mollica.

“The way she focuses on projects first is something I’d love to see more of,” she said. “What it comes down to is being able to use these technical skills in real life.”

Mollica also worked closely with Associate Professor John Johnstone, Ph.D. But, rather than participating in his course as a student, she was invited to serve in a different role.

“I became a teaching assistant for Professor Johnstone’s ‘Introduction to Python’ class,” said Mollica. “I had the opportunity to work closely with a professor that I had never taken a class from or talked to. Months later, Professor Johnstone nominated me for the 2024 Honors Convocation Award, the biggest award I have ever received.”

So, once again, Mollica’s willingness to try something new resulted in a transformational outcome, along with some significant praise. With new leadership skills and additional confidence in her toolbox, Mollica decided to pursue one more opportunity at UAB that would set the stage for her future career.

"In my third semester, fall of 2023, I attended the Computer Science and Engineering Career Fair. I talked with a bunch of different booths, Southern Company included and connected with their amazing recruiter. I landed an interview and within a week I knew I was going to be interning with them for the Spring semester,” she said.

She started as a part-time intern in Spring 2024, then transitioned to a full-time internship in the summer. And, after she graduates in August, she will start as a full-time IT Support Analyst II for Southern Power and PowerSecure Technology Solutions. In addition, Southern Company has paid for her tuition for her last two semesters at UAB.

For Mollica, these outcomes illustrate the importance of pushing forward, trying new things, and saying “yes” when given the opportunity to do so.

“Never give up,” said Mollica. And, for her fellow “nonconventional students,” she has a very specific piece of advice: “Age doesn't matter ... Go for it. All you need is faith and determination."

Congratulations to Leslie on her upcoming graduation. You can learn more about the B.A. in Computer Science here.