Women in Technology: Alissa Castillo

Liquid Web’s Support Technician III in the Managed Apps Support department, Alissa Castillo, on why she loves solving problems for customers, what motivates her, and her hopes for the future of women in tech.

Alissa Castillo was born and raised in Apple Valley, California and enjoyed growing up in the High Desert, living close to her grandparents. In high school, she was a shy student interested in computers and loved art classes. When she was 19, Castillo’s family moved to Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. She lived there for 11 years before moving to North Alabama in 2009, where she now lives with her husband and two daughters and enjoys spending time with her family.

Castillo’s journey in tech began when she started working in web hosting in 2009 upon moving to Alabama. “While I had gone to school for Graphic Design, there weren’t any jobs of that type in this area at the time,” she says. “A family member told me about a job opening for technical support at a local hosting company. I didn’t know anything about what goes on behind the scenes with web hosting, but I’m thankful they took a chance on me, due to my previous customer service experience.”

Castillo found that she loved the level of support she could offer customers, being awarded Tech of the Year. “That was definitely unforgettable and one of my favorite memories,” she says. She continued working for the same company until they were acquired by Liquid Web in 2021.

Now at Liquid Web, Castillo works as Support Technician III in the Managed Apps Support department, providing technical support to clients. She loves the energy of working in the world of tech. “Every day, I see something new,” she says. “This keeps things challenging, and it inspires me to want to learn more.”

Growing up, Castillo looked up to her mother, who worked at the local telephone company. “On the weekends, she would sometimes bring me along when she had to stop by the office, and I just loved that everyone had their own cubicle. I dreamed of working in a place like that (which had cubicles). Sadly, I’ve never had my own cubicle, as at my previous company we had an open desk work area. And now with working remotely, I’m at home,” she says. “However, it certainly has its blessings with getting more time to see my family. Now I get to see my daughters right after work instead of spending that time commuting.” Castillo decorates her desk with things she loves, like the Minions and Baby Yoda, for a happy environment.

Castillo says she feels lucky to be a fast learner in a field that genuinely interests her. “I’m also the most technically-inclined person in my family as I’m the one who everyone comes to when they have a question about anything electronic, putting together furniture, etc,” she says. “Being very empathetic naturally, I think, has also helped me with providing good customer service and wanting to make sure our customers are taken care of. Overall, I have a great mix of qualities that have helped me be successful as a support technician.”

Supporting customers is a significant motivator for Castillo. “There’s a certain sense of accomplishment when I’m able to resolve an issue that in the beginning seemed impossible to fix,” she says. “I love being able to use different tools to research or when I can learn something new to help find the answer. I’ve also found a passion for helping and training others when possible. I love to share what I’ve learned and help make things easier to understand.”

Castillo is confident that women have a bright future in technology. “So much of our daily lives depend on and utilize technology, so a lot more women should have those types of jobs high on their list of what field they want to work in compared to when I was in high school,” she says. “I was just telling one of my daughters the other day that if you like video games so much, why not become a coder and learn how to make them?”

For women just starting in tech or interested in the industry, Castillo advises finding a particular field or topic of interest, then learning all you can. “Learn about it and have fun! You should enjoy what you are doing, and that will come through in your work,” she says.