Building a future from hospitality to high tech at UTC

Cecily Holland crossed the McKenzie Arena stage Dec. 14, 2024, receiving a Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Technology in Cybersecurity degree. Photo by Angela Foster.

At 28, Cecily Holland didn’t take the standard route into tech—she designed her own.

A December 2024 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Technology in Cybersecurity program (BAS-IT CyS), Holland’s transition from restaurants to IT shows what’s possible with persistence and adaptability.

“I spent years developing leadership and communication skills working in restaurants, but I realized I needed something more technical to really feel fulfilled,” Holland said.

Holland built a decade-long career managing restaurants and thrived on creating exceptional experiences for guests and employees. But she wasn’t content with operational mastery; she wanted to build systems, not just manage them.

The turning point came when her oldest daughter turned 1. Holland decided it was time to pursue a new direction and enrolled at Chattanooga State Community College.

“At ChattState, I had to relearn how to struggle,” she said. Balancing calculus, physics and computer architecture while raising two young daughters wasn’t easy. “You can’t let not knowing something stop you. Math taught me how to keep showing up. Even getting an error message to change is progress.”

Transferring to UTC pushed Holland even harder, with the BAS-IT CyS program’s accelerated format and demanding coursework testing her limits.

“It was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done,” she said. “Balancing a full class load, a yearlong internship and parenting meant there were no easy days.”

But the program’s blend of technical training, communication and teamwork aligned with her vision for success and offered both practical skills and industry-ready experience.

“It’s an industry full of people who know they can figure things out,” she said. “You have to be comfortable with new territory and constant learning.”

Holland’s internship at Future Capital, a Chattanooga-based investment firm, put her on the front lines of software engineering. She learned confidence comes not from knowing everything but from believing you can learn anything.

“The internship experience is critical because it allows students to see how classroom concepts apply in real-world scenarios,” said Dr. Chang Phuong, the BAS-IT CyS program’s director and a lecturer in the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science. “Cecily’s path shows how those experiences can inspire further academic pursuits and contribute to the local tech community.”

Persistence became her approach.

“Sometimes, you just keep doing it wrong until you do it right once—and then you keep doing it right. Showing up every day is what matters,” she said.

While many BAS-IT graduates head straight into the workforce, Holland enrolled in UTC’s master’s in computer science program and is pursuing the applied capstone track to build both her resume and academic credentials. She’s also working as a teaching assistant, using the skills she learned from her internship to help students connect classroom concepts to real-world applications.

Inspired by her husband’s work with UTC Facilities Planning and Management, Holland earned a Harris Chair innovation mini-grant through the MOCS Innovate Grant Program to develop an application for tracking and managing UTC’s campus tree maintenance. She recently showcased her project at a UTC researchers meet-up, where she shared insights on her work—and engaged with faculty and researchers focused on innovation.

Her passion extends into Chattanooga’s broader tech community. She volunteers with ChaTech, helping organize events like “STEM for Her” to introduce girls to science, technology, engineering and math. Her outreach earned her ChaTech’s Emerging Tech Student Award at the 2024 TechX Awards.

“Cecily’s journey with ChaTech has been nothing short of inspiring,” ChaTech Executive Director Austin Corcoran said. “She first connected with us as a volunteer at Scenic City Summit 2024 and immediately embraced our mission.

“She quickly became a driving force within the ChaTech Women’s Committee. Her passion for technology, mentorship and community engagement makes her a valued member of Chattanooga’s tech community. We can’t wait to see where her career takes her.”

Holland isn’t in a rush. She’s still shaping what comes next, but her priorities are clear: continue learning, teaching and building her resume.

“You don’t need to know everything on day one,” she said. “Confidence comes from showing up, trying and figuring it out as you go.”