Class of '81 Hall of Fame Inductees

Jody Bobbitt Zolli '81
Distinguished Alumna

“My path has been unique and hard-won,” reflects Jody Bobbitt Zolli of her impressive, 32-year career as a technical writer. She graduated from Minuteman in 1981 after majoring in electronics (she was only the second girl to graduate from the school’s electronics program), and she went on to be the second Minuteman student accepted at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She started out there majoring in electrical engineering but later switched to technical writing, a program she actually created, becoming its first graduate in 1987. “I was a pioneer in technical writing at WPI,” Ms. Zolli notes proudly.

“I love technology,” she explained. “I love to write.” She considers her occupation to be “the perfect marriage between engineering and poetry.” Making sure that users get everything they want is her mission, one that she has fulfilled at renowned companies such as Digital Equipment Corporation, Akamai Technologies, 3Com Corporation and SeaChange International, and currently, at a start-up called VidScale, Inc., in Cambridge.

When Ms. Zolli began work at VidScale, there were 45 employees - and she was the only female doing technical work. In fact, she knows first-hand what it can be like for a woman to compete successfully - and be taken seriously - in a technical world that is populated largely by men. That reality has never hindered her from excelling or meeting workplace challenges based on gender head-on. 

Now, after so many years in her field, Ms. Zolli generously shares her knowledge by mentoring women who want to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. She offers these pointers to them: find a mentor or advocate who supports your professional growth, network with women and don’t be afraid of hard work.

“It hasn’t been easy,” Ms. Zolli said. “Minuteman taught me stick-to-itiveness. You just keep at it.”