Solid experienced teacher in Microsoft Excel - giving lessons to students in Sydney. Master's degree and an expert in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Find out more about Tina

• 1) Can you tell us about your first experience using a computer?

  My first real encounter with programming came in Year 9, when I was selected as part of an elite group of students who had achieved High Distinction in mathematics. We were chosen to be among the very first at our school to learn programming and the language we were introduced to was C++. I still remember the excitement I felt; being picked for that group and discovering that I could actually instruct a machine to do things was a genuinely thrilling experience. It was the moment that sparked my passion for computing.

• 2) What is the technological evolution that has marked you most and what will be, in your eyes, a turning point in this field?

  The rapid integration of AI into virtually every aspect of our daily lives. We are witnessing, in real time, a transformation that is reshaping how we work, communicate, and even think. Like many people, I find myself with mixed feelings about it. There is a genuine anxiety around what the future holds, particularly when it comes to jobs and the way we live. These are legitimate concerns that society as a whole is still grappling with. Yet at the same time, I am someone who is driven by curiosity. Rather than turning away from what feels uncertain, I find myself drawn to understand it better. Learning how AI works, what it can and cannot do, and where it is heading, all of that genuinely excites me. In my eyes, AI is not just a turning point, it is the turning point of our era.

• 3) Explain your expertise, your interest in it and, more broadly, its importance in the computer world.

  My area of expertise is Microsoft Excel, a tool I have been both teaching and working with professionally for over ten years. In my role as a database specialist, Excel has been a constant companion, a powerful instrument for organising, analysing, and making sense of complex data.
  
  From a broader perspective, Excel's importance in the computing world cannot be overstated. It sits at the intersection of accessibility and power used by everyone from students and small business owners to financial analysts and data scientists. In a world increasingly driven by data, the ability to manipulate and interpret that data efficiently is not just a technical skill it is a fundamental literacy.

• 4) Do so-called 'visionaries', such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg inspire you or do you have other role models?

  For me, they serve as a reminder that technology is never just about code or hardware, it is about imagining a world that does not yet exist, and having the courage to build it.

• 5) What would you say to an uncomfortable person in front of a screen who says that "IT is too complicated"?

  It won’t not hurt you - so give it a go. You may surprise yourself. If I can get to where I am today by simply being willing to try, so can you.

• 6) What are your other passions, related or non-related to computers?

  As much as I love technology. I love my family, running and bushwalking, not to mention cooking!