Now she wants to pay it forward.
"I want kids, especially girls, to not be afraid of science and engineering but to see it as an opportunity to be successful in their future," said Garver.
Garver's been at Intel (INTC, Tech30) for 25 years, and she said her male counterparts have vastly outnumbered women in technical jobs.
The chasm grew wider the higher she rose up the ranks, eventually becoming technical adviser to Intel's data center CTO.
"There are very few women at the higher levels," she said.
Eager to change that trend, Garver joined the Women at Intel (WIN) Network five years ago as a mentor.