{"682285":{"#nid":"682285","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Campus Connection Inspires Mother and Son to Find Purpose and Passion","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen \u003Cstrong\u003EAndrew Rush\u003C\/strong\u003E started at Georgia Tech last fall, he already had a sense of direction as soon as he set foot on campus. His mother, \u003Cstrong\u003EHolly Rush\u003C\/strong\u003E, is a longtime Georgia Tech staff employee, and this exposure influenced Andrew to study at the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe caught up with Holly and Andrew to learn more about what makes Georgia Tech so appealing to students and employees alike, and the unique perspective their mother-son relationship brings to campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow long have you worked at Georgia Tech? What do you do as a financial operations assistant director?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Holly]\u003C\/em\u003E I have been at Georgia Tech since 2000 and joined the College of Computing in early 2005. Ironically and very memorably, I found out I was expecting Andrew right after I started in Computing. I still recall being very nervous about telling my new boss that I was expecting, but she was happy for me and very accommodating. I went to the bookstore right after our meeting and bought Andrew his first Georgia Tech t-shirt, which I plan to pass down to him one day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeing part of the College for this long, I have watched it grow from having divisions to schools. I began as a financial administrator and steadily grew into my current role as assistant director of financial operations for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. In my current role, I oversee financial operations for the School of CSE, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and ensuring compliance with Institute and sponsor guidelines. I work closely with faculty, staff, and leadership to support our financial programs and other initiatives. It is a rewarding role that allows me to contribute to the success of the college while watching it grow, just like my own journey here.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow much influence did your mom\u2019s work at Georgia Tech have on your interest in coming here for college?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Andrew]\u003C\/em\u003E It definitely played a role. I grew up a fan of all things Georgia Tech, so this was always my dream school. When I got in, all the stars aligned. Tech was my dream school, my mom worked there, and I was close to home. It was perfect.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is it about Georgia Tech that has kept you here for more than two decades?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Holly]\u003C\/em\u003E From the beginning, I have always felt that my work contributes to something bigger \u2013 supporting faculty who offer world-class education and innovation. I have had the opportunity to grow professionally and work alongside very talented colleagues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow has your first year gone? What do you like best about attending Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Andrew]\u003C\/em\u003E Overwhelming. I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect from attending college. The college lifestyle was a big change for me, and I had to learn how to navigate it. I knew Georgia Tech would be challenging, and I thought I was ready for it, but it was still harder than I expected. However, I managed to get through my first year with great resilience and finish stronger than I started.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do you each like best about being on campus together?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Holly]\u003C\/em\u003E I enjoy being nearby and getting to share this chapter of his life. There are many times that Andrew is focused on his studies or his fraternity commitments, so he doesn\u2019t get to come home as often as I would like. But with me being on campus, we can grab a quick lunch or have a short visit. I also like knowing he is a short walk from my office if I want to drop off a homemade meal. Even when we are both too busy for a visit, sometimes I find myself looking out the window across campus. Just seeing the top of a building where he is attending class gives me comfort knowing he is there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Andrew]\u003C\/em\u003E Bouncing off of what my mom said, it has been great. It is comforting that I can go to her office just to say \u201chey,\u201d and not drive all the way home. It\u2019s nice that when I\u2019m having a rough patch with school, she drops by to offer some reassurance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat has been the key to reaching the milestones of a fulfilling career and witnessing your children achieve their goals?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E[Holly]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003EThe key to reaching these milestones has really been maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Georgia Tech has given me the space and support to grow professionally while also being present as a parent. That balance has been everything. It allowed me to build a fulfilling career that I\u2019m proud of, while also being there to watch my children grow and pursue their dreams, including Andrew becoming a Georgia Tech student himself. Being able to do both, without having to choose one over the other, has truly been the foundation of my success and happiness.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do you look forward to in the next few years studying computer engineering at Georgia Tech? And after graduating?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[\u003Cem\u003EAndrew\u003C\/em\u003E] I am most excited for my \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/computer-engineering-degree\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ethreads\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and starting my career. I have learned so much that I am already applying my studies. I recently used Raspberry Pi to build a circuit that enabled a motion detector to work and set off an LED indicating motion. This was a part of my discovery class for my major, and it was the most fun I have had at Georgia Tech so far. It was very new and exciting to learn about, and it motivates me to put my skills to work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduating, I want to work in cybersecurity, possibly as a hardware security engineer for the government or even my own startup. The project I mentioned opened my eyes to my threads and really motivated me to continue in this field.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERush is one of more than 150 College of Computing staff members who support the College and its five schools. Staff members are the backbone of the College. From managing operations to providing essential services, their dedication ensures the seamless delivery of education, research, and community support, making them integral to the College\u0027s success.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen \u003Cstrong\u003EAndrew Rush\u003C\/strong\u003E started at Georgia Tech last fall, he already had a sense of direction as soon as he set foot on campus. His mother, \u003Cstrong\u003EHolly Rush\u003C\/strong\u003E, is a longtime Georgia Tech staff employee, and this exposure influenced Andrew to study at the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe caught up with Holly and Andrew to learn more about what makes Georgia Tech so appealing to students and employees alike, and the unique perspective their mother-son relationship brings to campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Holly Rush has worked at Georgia Tech since 2000. Her employment influenced her son, Andrew, to attend the Institute and study computer engineering."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-05-08 14:35:15","changed_gmt":"2025-05-09 13:59:20","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677042":{"id":"677042","type":"image","title":"CSE-Staff-Profile.jpg","body":null,"created":"1746714608","gmt_created":"2025-05-08 14:30:08","changed":"1746714608","gmt_changed":"2025-05-08 14:30:08","alt":"CSE Staff Profile","file":{"fid":"260902","name":"CSE-Staff-Profile.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/08\/CSE-Staff-Profile.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/08\/CSE-Staff-Profile.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":107111,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/08\/CSE-Staff-Profile.jpg?itok=N18Wfstb"}},"677043":{"id":"677043","type":"image","title":"CSE-Staff-Profile-2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1746714633","gmt_created":"2025-05-08 14:30:33","changed":"1746714633","gmt_changed":"2025-05-08 14:30:33","alt":"Holly Rush and Andrew Rush","file":{"fid":"260903","name":"CSE-Staff-Profile-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/08\/CSE-Staff-Profile-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/08\/CSE-Staff-Profile-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":93623,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/08\/CSE-Staff-Profile-2.jpg?itok=siORvTLB"}},"677044":{"id":"677044","type":"image","title":"staff_spotlight-graphic_sml_v2-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1746714935","gmt_created":"2025-05-08 14:35:35","changed":"1746714935","gmt_changed":"2025-05-08 14:35:35","alt":"College of Computing Staff Spotlight","file":{"fid":"260904","name":"staff_spotlight-graphic_sml_v2-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/08\/staff_spotlight-graphic_sml_v2-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/08\/staff_spotlight-graphic_sml_v2-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":38587,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/08\/staff_spotlight-graphic_sml_v2-copy.jpg?itok=LCxJynE0"}}},"media_ids":["677042","677043","677044"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/campus-connection-inspires-mother-and-son-find-purpose-and-passion","title":"Campus Connection Inspires Mother and Son to Find Purpose and Passion"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"594","name":"college of engineering"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"107031","name":"College of Engineering; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"11075","name":"The Whistle"},{"id":"4152","name":"whistle"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"194509","name":"Mother\u0027s Day"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}