Batchelor Finds Bliss at Archetype SC

Irina Batchelor’s journey to working as a software developer had many twists and turns – from earning a degree in a field she wasn’t passionate about, to finding her bliss in Myrtle Beach.

Irina broke down her professional life and how she came to work at Archetype SC during the Grand Strand Technology Council’s Women in Technology luncheon on April 11, sharing the details of her early days in Russia and her eventual career on the coast of the United States.

Early in her life, Irina would attend high school and then choose a university close to home - earning a degree in public relations and marketing, a field of study she chose because it was easy.

Irina would eventually make the move to the United States and land in the Myrtle Beach area, where she took the first job she was offered – working at Starbucks as a barista. She quickly advanced in the Starbucks chain, moving to supervisor, and interviewing for a store manager position before she had a change of heart. Following her store manager interview, Irina made the decision to go back to school for computer science, selecting programming as her focus after some internal debate.

While working on her degree at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Irina worked multiple jobs to support her family, at Starbucks, Supply Chain Process Improvement, Horry-Georgetown Tech, and Globe Communication. She would eventually land at Archetype SC, where she works as a software developer on multiple projects. Irina considers her coworkers at Archetype SC another family for her and has a job that she enjoys day in and day out.