Women's Services

Andrea

When BYU computer science courses only repeated math she'd learned in high school, Andrea Eyring opted for a challenge: she switched her major to electrical engineering-the master's track. "We haven't had a woman pass this class yet," one teacher warned. "You're the first ever to enroll!" Except for occasional teasing, Andrea and the two other women in her program found professors positive, the courses difficult but rewarding. After graduation, Andrea worked for ESL/TRW in California, designing computer systems.

Andrea met Ken Smith, also an electrical engineering major, in her freshman family home evening group at Helaman Halls. They married a few years later. When their first child, Talliya, was born, Andrea wanted to spend more time at home. Ken suggested she form her own consulting business, which would allow flexible work hours. "It took my husband a long time to convince me to go out on my own," she remembers, but the risk paid off: Eyring Systems quickly became a success.

Now the parents of three children, Andrea and Ken share childcare and work responsibilities, relying on good communication and a weekly planning meeting. "When I served as Primary president, Ken did more around the house. Now that he's in the bishopric, I do more." Andrea finds motherhood "extremely rewarding," particularly because meeting her children's needs brings balance to her life.
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Andrea