@bighusker said:
It turns out that Sarah doesn't know anything about programming
I've met people like this (mostly girls, I'm afraid).
Most of them don't work in IT (anymore). And certainly not as programmers/developers. But this industry cannot work with 'hard' geek types only. There is actually a need for persons who can participate in projects with more 'soft' values (administrators, analysts, testers etc.), so TRWTF is probably the college, who inists on programming knowledge.
However, when that is said and done, I think more people should know what programming is about. I have met a few managers / project leads who knew next to nothing about the core problems in the project.
I believe you took the right decision (as I would have done exactly the same).