Northeastern graduate Charlie Lees Pivots from Finance to Software Engineering

Many of us would blanch at the prospect of starting a new job and grad school on the same day. Charlie Lees, who’s graduating this spring with a master’s in computer science from Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Science, jumped at the opportunity. The Saco, Maine native, who obtained his undergraduate degree in finance and management systems, started his career in information technology (IT) and was eager to make the move to software engineering. 

Charlie learned about the Roux from a co-worker. “I attended an enrollment event at the Roux where I had the opportunity to sit in on a discrete mathematics lecture by Teaching Professor Alan Jamieson,” Charlie explained. “I was sold.” Charlie enrolled in Khoury’s Master of Science in Computer Science – Align program, which is designed for students with non-computer science backgrounds.  

Balancing his work as an accountant at Stone Coast Fund Services with grad school was no small task, but Charlie made it work. “Algorithms was my entire life for four months,” he recalled, underscoring how having a supportive partner in his wife was key to his success.  

When asked about the classes that made the biggest mark, Charlie didn’t hesitate to call out web development, taught by Teaching Professor Tony Mullen, and fundamentals of software engineering, taught by Associate Teaching Professor Gary Cantrell. “Both of the classes were really project-oriented, and when I interviewed for jobs, all of the questions were about material I learned in these courses. It was really helpful to be able to speak about real work – design decisions, consequences, and having experience fixing things.”  

An experiential learning project with MedRhythms, a Portland-based company that is pioneering the development of next-generation neurotherapeutics that leverage the power of music and technology, married two of Charlie’s interests. As an undergrad student at the University of Maine, Charlie was part of the Maine Steiners, the university’s oldest a cappella group. He traveled New England to sing, and even sang the national anthem at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park! “Our project focused on developing a proof of concept for their hardware,” he explained. “We developed an app to help MedRhythms get all of the information off of their devices once they were used. It was cool that music was something that I knew a lot about, and rewarding to know we were working on something that’s having a positive impact on community members.” 

In the fall of 2023, a software developer role opened up at Stone Coast. For Charlie, the timing couldn’t have been better. “I had completed my bridge courses [the first two semesters of the Align program are comprised of intensive coursework designed to equip students with the fundamental skills to succeed in graduate-level computer science studies], and was fortunate to have a really supportive manager who knew that I wanted to make a move and who advocated for me. It helped that I had really proven myself as a hard worker on the accounting team.”

Charlie transitioned into the software developer role in December. “It was a bit of a strange feeling at the start,” he said. “You’re way more book smart than you are experienced. Things will come up where I’ll know all the technical details, but the raw experience – what can go wrong, how to fix things in the moment, is a huge learning experience. In those moments, I remind myself to take a step back – to listen more than sing.”  

Reflecting on his grad school experience, Charlie shared, “It always felt very personal at the Roux. I felt like I wasn’t a number, I was a student.”