Angie Asmus's Journey from WINS Awardee to SC24 SCinet Chair • SC23

December 12, 2023

SCinet

Angie Asmus is the very definition of a Women in Networking at SC (WINS) success story.

In 2015, Asmus was working in Colorado State University’s Information Technology division as a security analyst, focused on compliance, network firewalls, and routing. In this role, she met WINS founder Marla Meehl, who was then running the Front Range GigaPoP. With Meehl’s encouragement, Asmus applied for a WINS scholarship and, to her surprise, was named a 2016 WINS awardee.

“I hadn’t really worked with network switches until I came to SCinet that year,” Asmus recalled. “Kevin Hayden [2024 Exhibits Chair] was my mentor, and he handed me a set of 65 switches and told me to upgrade and configure them. He had to walk me through the first one. Then it started really clicking and making sense. Along with the team, I did all the edge switches and wireless for the conference—and loved it.”

Asmus formed a tight bond with the other WINS awardees and the SCinet team that year.

“I met 200 great people who felt like a new family, and that made me want to come back.”

— Angie Asmus, SC24 SCinet Chair

From WINS to Career Wins

Asmus has come back every year since, working her way up to becoming the Edge Team Chair. At SC23, she served as SCinet Deputy Chair, and at SC24, she will be SCinet Chair in Atlanta. From WINS awardee to SCinet chair in a mere eight years is a pretty powerful trajectory, and Asmus gives the credit to WINS.

“WINS means everything to me,” she said. “It’s given me the confidence and experience to rise through the ranks in my career, not to mention the chance to present and speak on the importance of diversity in the tech field. I’ve gained skills I never knew I needed, from soft skills to tech skills.”

To wit, Asmus was recently promoted to Interim Director of the Network and Telecommunications team at Colorado State University, where she manages three teams with 20 full-time employees.

Ultimately, Asmus has this to say to women considering WINS: “Definitely apply for the WINS scholarship. It is life changing. It’s truly so impactful for what it can do for your career.”