Lynn Davis (Child Development, ’71) grew up surrounded by strong women who owned businesses, made decisions and charted their own paths. Only later did she recognize how unusual it was to have worked in her parents’ Santa Barbara bakery, originally founded by her grandmother in 1939. Davis’s family instilled a confidence that would serve her well throughout a career defined by curiosity, resilience and a willingness to venture into the unknown.

Davis enrolled as a home economics major when she arrived at Cal Poly in the late 1960s but changed course when the university launched its new child development program. She became part of the program's first graduating class in 1971.

“Child development was multidisciplinary,” Davis said. “Beyond child development, I was exposed to art, science, music, psychology, genetics and more. It taught me to think from many different perspectives.”

Just as important, the program immersed students in hands-on experiences beyond the traditional classroom. Working directly with children challenged Davis to think on her feet and develop confidence in her own judgment.

“Cal Poly changed my trajectory,” she said. “It connected me with a way of being that I hadn't experienced before.” At the heart of that transformation was Learn by Doing.

Though Davis earned a teaching credential and taught for three years, the difficulty finding adequately paid positions prompted her to reconsider what came next. Rather than a setback, she saw this uncertainty as an opportunity.

She accepted an entry-level position at Bechtel Corporation, where she was hired as a typist. The role wasn't glamorous, but it gave her a foothold. Before long, she was looking for the next challenge. “It took guts, but I don't like being bored,” Davis said.

That outlook became a recurring theme throughout her career. When an opportunity arose to move into cost engineering, she applied despite having little knowledge of the field. “They asked me if I knew what a cost code was,” she recalled. “I said, ‘No, but I think I can figure it out.’” She got the job. Years later, when technology transformed the workplace, Davis applied for a programming position, trusting again that she could learn.

Over the next several decades, Davis built a successful career spanning technology, consulting and executive leadership. She worked for major firms, traveled to more than 40 countries and spent time living abroad. Yet despite the dramatic shifts in industry and responsibility, she sees her adaptability and flexible thinking as common threads interwoven throughout her story.

“I never boxed myself into thinking, ‘This is what my degree is in, so this is what I have to do,’ I just kept learning.”

Her child development background proved very valuable in the corporate world. While many colleagues excelled at technical work, Davis developed additional strengths in understanding how people communicate, collaborate and navigate change.

“I understood the user requirements and was able to translate this to the language of the developers,” she said. “The leadership skills I developed became my greatest strength and set me apart.”

Eventually, those strengths led her to executive leadership roles managing global technology teams. Later, they led her into yet another reinvention: executive coaching.

Today, Davis helps leaders develop character-driven leadership styles while also pursuing a lifelong creative passion as a textile artist. Her fabric collages and portrait pieces represent another expression of the curiosity that has guided her life since her days at Cal Poly.

“It feels like I've come full circle,” she said.

As she reflects on her journey, Davis hopes current students will embrace uncertainty rather than fear it. “Be open to trying new things and putting yourself out there,” she said. “You never know where your life's going to go.”

That belief also motivates her commitment to Cal Poly. A longtime volunteer and advisory council member, Davis is establishing the Lynn E. Davis Student Success in Child Development Endowment. She hopes her gift will help remove barriers that prevent students from fully participating in the kinds of transformative experiences that shaped her own future.

"Cal Poly changed my life," Davis said. "I strongly believe in the university's mission. I never imagined I'd be in a position to give back at this scale, but that's the difference Cal Poly made for me."

More than five decades after graduating, Davis still sees herself as a learner, following her curiosity, embracing new challenges and trusting that the next opportunity will reveal itself through action.

Learn by Doing is a lesson she first learned at Cal Poly and one she continues to practice every day.

Photos courtesy of Lynn Davis.