Deborah " Debby" K. Edwards is gaining a new professional focus. For 20 years, Debbie worked in the semi-conductor business - the last eight years with a company where she served as the manager of 16 people.

Debby's title was International Planning Manager to which she brought a bachelor's degree and much experience as a trainer, facilitator and manager of production control and materials. She did considerable traveling while training others and also worked in the business planning systems project management area. She said that she enjoyed most of all facilitating teams and working with groups.

Despite her many years with the company Debby was, like so many other professionals in the Silicon Valley (where she was born and raised) beginning to see a need to refocus her career aspirations. It started a few years ago, when companies started downsizing and restructuring in the company directed many of the jobs to personnel located in the off shore facilities.

"That was the writing on the wall," Debby recalls. "Still there was a 50/50 chance that I would stay on." When the company reduced the work force yet again in October, 2002 Debby was laid off and was asked to stay on an additional month to help with the transition. That, she says, was a somewhat awkward assignment.

This final assignment meant that it was time for change and time for rethinking her career path. The company offered out placement services including career counseling, so, working with a career counselor, Debby began to ask, "where do I connect; what is my passion?"

Debby Edwards signed up for a course with SJSU's Professional Development in nonprofit management and soon decided to complete the whole certificate program. Besides helping her see how her Spanish language, team building and project management skills would transfer to the nonprofit world, she is learning about new areas specific to nonprofits, like board management and fund raising. She's also making good connections with people in the field. "It's a good way to network. The instructors are very helpful," Debby says, "and the acquaintances made with the students are helpful, too." Both the content of the courses and the people she has met are assets in helping her attain her next goals.