How did you get into Information Technology?

As an undergraduate I worked for a small consulting firm specializing in Environmental Impact Reports. Each report had tables with calculations quantifying impacts for air quality, solid waste and so forth. We did these calculations by hand, and every time there was a change, we had to re-do all of the tables. 

I convinced my boss to get a microcomputer, and offered to work for free for a month while I learned to program. By the end of the month I had written programs to automate all of the main tables. It was great for the company, since they were now so easy to produce by hand. And it was great for me, since I had gained a new skill and a new job within the company.