RIT graduate builds systems and support with The Salvation Army

Mona Moody ’95 (computer information systems) learned early what it means to feel safe and supported—an experience that still shapes her work and her commitment to others.

Now based in Atlanta, Moody serves as the territorial web and systems manager at The Salvation Army’s Southern Territory Headquarters, overseeing the organization’s digital presence from Texas to the nation’s capital. She also volunteers with Project Pinnacle, a Georgia-based program that supports young adults seeking second chances.

Moody grew up in Rochester and was a first-generation college graduate, in circumstances that were often difficult. During a short spell in Syracuse, N.Y., when she was around 7 years old, she and her family spent time at a Salvation Army shelter.

“I didn’t quite understand what was going on,” Moody said, “But it was warm, it was friendly, it was a safe place to be.”

The memory of feeling safe stuck with her. Back in Rochester, she was drawn to computers just as the personal computer boom was taking off in the mid-1980s. In high school, she studied computer programming at Edison Tech and found her way to RIT for college, studying computer science but also gravitating to the business college’s blend of technology and management.

She found her footing through a tight-knit network of organizations, including the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of African American Business Students, and the undergraduate Pi Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., where she served as chapter president her senior year.

“Those organizations kept us supportive of one another,” Moody said. “It kept me grounded, it kept me focused, like I had that support and I wasn’t alone.”

After a three-decade career in technology, moving through systems engineering, web development, and briefly teaching, she had an opportunity to join The Salvation Army during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joining the 160-year-old organization was deeply personal for her, serving as a reminder of that feeling of care and comfort that The Salvation Army afforded her and her family all those years ago.

The role also deepened something already in her. Throughout her career, she has volunteered with organizations ranging from the Ronald McDonald House to the Special Olympics.

Through Project Pinnacle, Moody guides mentees through career development panels, community service, and everything in between.

Last December, she watched with pride as her mentee, Ariyanna Harvey, delivered the graduation speech. Moody also was named Mentor of the Year.

“I’m directly and indirectly helping others, and that’s what I want to keep doing in my personal and professional life,” she said.