An Elizabethtown College education is for people who feel the pull to contribute to the world. With a network of 24,425 living alumni, our graduates leave Etown to become the influential advocates and changemakers the world needs more of.
Meet Darlene Myer ’66, a Mathematics alumna who took a Computer Science course during her senior year that transformed her career path as a successful Computer Systems Analyst and Team Leader. Various career roles placed her at the forefront of exciting technological advancements in the industry, with experiences at the National Institutes of Health, the Navy Department, and the IRS.
“In my career, I was always leading a group of programmers who developed new and advanced computer programs and systems to analyze the data of health researchers, to write computer code to analyze and create reports for budget analysts, and write computer code to support the collection of taxes by IRS revenue officers. It was exciting to always be at the forefront of a new industry. And it was all because of one computer class my last semester before graduation!”
Following graduation, she continued a passion for music that was nurtured during her time at Etown, taking part in auditioned choral groups that performed at prestigious venues around the world.
Today, Myer is passionate about giving Etown students the same opportunities she enjoyed by generously giving back to her alma mater through a multitude of scholarships across a diverse array of academic areas.
What defined your Etown experience?
The College, my senior year, offered a course in computers, and that influenced my whole life. I was so thrilled with the computer course that I went on to study a year of graduate work in the Computer Science at the University of Iowa. In my career, I was always a leader in the advancing computer industry using a desktop terminal linked to a mainframe to provide computer support to IRS Revenue Agents, who were using first-version laptops while visiting delinquent taxpayers out in the field. That was just the way my whole career proceeded. I was always at the forefront. And it was all because of the experience of one last semester class.
My senior year, I had the privilege of being accepted as member of the Concert Choir. I loved it. When I went to the first rehearsal, there I sat among all of those Music majors and didn’t know if I could manage it. But it was such a fine experience to work with all those music majors that when I started my professional job, I missed my music. I soon found and auditioned for a choir and was able to sing with that group for many years, and thus started another career. I sang at the Kennedy Center for 35 years and sang in the chorus that opened Wolf Trap for the Performing Arts. I also traveled and sang in the Notre Dame Cathedral twice, and in 2008, sang with the London Symphony and Chorus in St. Paul’s Cathedral to perform and record live: Mahler Symphony No. 8 with Valery Gergiev directing. Today, I am still singing with the Lancaster Symphony Chorus.
How has your education and experience at Elizabethtown College shaped your career path?
As a freshman, I started out as a Pre-Med major. I had both biology and chemistry labs, four hours each, and I would always come home not feeling well after those labs. I knew I had to reevaluate because it would only be the start of a lot of future lab work. I decided that I would be a Math major but I didn’t know what I was going to be doing in my career path, and that’s why that class in computers was so critical in making a major experience in my life.
My music career started at Etown when I was seven years old. My mother wanted to pay for music lessons, and she looked around for teachers and ended up finding Mrs. E. G. Meyer, who was a piano professor at the College, and signed us up. At the end of each year, we were required to prepare a recital piece to be performed on stage with an audience. At that time, the College stage was attached to the end of the gym with a large Steinway piano (later the student center replaced the gym and its stage.) Later as a rebellious teen, I refused to continue with piano lessons. Then my mother enrolled me in voice training with Nevin Fisher, who was also a professor at the College. During my college years I was fortunate to continue my voice training and also added organ lessons. This early music training served me with countless opportunities to perform in venues way beyond my imagination.
Why do you feel so compelled to give back in support of Etown students?
After a few years of being successful in my professional job, I realized that I would really like to provide opportunities for more students to be able to take music instruction because of all the personal rewards and wonderful experiences music provided in my life, so I set up a music scholarship. Over the years I also have established scholarships in mathematics, pre-med, and writing as well as professional advancement for summer students to have a summer internship.
My parents gave me two years of college, and the rest was up to me. I know that a lot of students are responsible for their own studies, and I’d like to give them opportunities so that they can blossom in their areas of study as well.
What is your passion? Where do you currently place your energy?
This is my 30th year of retirement, and I am still looking for areas to be able to create more opportunities for students. I just feel very satisfied that I had a wonderful career, which gave me the support to combine my musical performance with travel and pass along opportunities for other students. I’ve always been one to be interested in many activities, and I appreciate the invitations and love to attend the scholarship luncheons and meet the students as they excitedly plan their futures.
View more Etown Changemakers at etown.edu/125.