Students in the Spotlight

"I have recently accepted a position with Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) as a Sourcing Analyst primarily focusing on the supply chain, finance, and analytics space. The term "sourcing" represents the process of purchasing medical supplies from vendors while jumping through the many hoops of determining the most efficient price, quantity, delivery process, business relationship, contract term, etc. With this, I provide a variety of analytical reports that require touches of data science, business intelligence, and data analytics within Excel to help make decisions on those vendors. Another way to describe my position is an analytical Jack of All Trades because the medical industry is always evolving, thus consistently producing new technological challenges. Those medical supplies from vendors will then eventually be delivered to our various hospitals and facilities for faculty to provide care for our patients!"

"This is such a tough question, although my favorite memory, or memories, were meeting with the incoming Freshman class during summer orientation as an Ambassador. I was able to help the Class of 2021, 2022, and 2023 and it was always a pretty cool moment seeing the next generation of students gearing up for their next four years as well as reflecting on my first time stepping into the College of Informatics. I really enjoyed listening to the interests of each student and being able to provide my tidbits of advice as an upperclassman. Hopefully, something stuck with someone although, regardless, I knew that those students would be able to achieve great things while at NKU."

"My involvement in college ran the gamut, ranging from the College of Informatics Ambassadors, the Business Informatics Department Search Committee, the GriffinFest competitions, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Center for Applied Informatics (Informatics+), hackathons at the University of Kentucky and Saint Louis University, volunteer work with local K-12 schools, and other miscellaneous things around. The most significant takeaway looking back on my past four years was the amazing environment the College of Informatics created to foster the ideas and passions of others. I felt that there were many opportunities to get involved not only with the college but with a group of students and staff that possessed the same excitement as myself. In conjunction with this, I believe experiential learning creates a much more engaging and realistic approach to learning material, whether that was through my extracurricular activities or my coursework. Getting hands-on classroom experience smoothly translates to industry experience in addition to creating an environment where students can become confident in their actions."

"Do not let fear hold you back. College naturally brings some of the most intense and stressful moments for students and it is important to face them head-on and accomplish them rather than pushing them aside. Some of my most impactful moments throughout my undergraduate were also some of my most intimidating moments, however, I knew that they were obstacles that would really help my future self—they were the catalyst that provides the life I am able to live today! While it is easy to get caught up in the present moment with the mountain of assignments, projects, and exams, remember that there are a small handful of one-time-only opportunities at school that may just influence the next five to ten years of your life. As Elon Musk once said, “I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.” You got this, friend!"

"I was just hired at GE Aviation in their Digital Technology Leadership Program after I interned with them this past summer.  I start next month."

"I was in Pi Kappa Alpha, held various positions with PIKE."

"Playing intermural Flag Football, all my fun times in the fraternity, and every NKU Homecoming Tailgate."

"Don’t just get involved in organizations.  Lead in organizations."

"I plan to work at my local library while attending graduate school."

"My senior capstone experience working with Dr. Mary Chesnut and Dr. Jennifer Smith of Steely Library."

"Always do your best work. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help. Be open to new opportunities and most of all, be willing to step outside of your comfort zone."

“As [a COI student] ambassador, I was able to volunteer to help faculty explain everything about the college and its programs. This was a great opportunity to get to know faculty that I hadn't met yet and to be able to talk/give advice to the incoming freshman from a current student's perspective.”

"I currently work at Great American Insurance Company as an Associate Business Analyst in the Product, Data, Compliance Department (PDC).

I am part of a team in PDC that is working with other teams to develop a new policy entry system for our Business Units in order to retire our old system. I work closely with IT in analyzing policies and data that flow through our systems to ensure there are no issues/defects that need to be addressed. My team acts as system support for rules and data compliance as we work through our phases of the project: Development, User Acceptance Testing, and into Production."

"I loved every minute of my time at NKU, so I am sure I could name quite a few. One great memory at NKU would be Homecoming week every year. I feel like this was a good chance to go enjoy all the fun events NKU would put on for their students. A few of my favorite Homecoming events to attend with my friends would've been the student Talent Show, the Hypnotist, the Step Show, and the Homecoming basketball game. Another favorite NKU memory was being a part of the COI Ambassadors. I barely knew anyone with my major going into college, and being part of this group gave me so many friendly faces as we passed one another in Griffin Hall. This program allowed me to experience new things and gain new personal and career opportunities. One of my favorite events put on by the COI Ambassador Program was when incoming students came to tour Griffin Hall and The College of Informatics for Freshman Orientation. As an ambassador, I was able to volunteer to help faculty explain everything about the college and its programs. This was a great opportunity to get to know faculty that I hadn't met yet and to be able to talk/give advice to the incoming freshman from a current student's perspective. Events like these are what helped me to become a confident leader, which has definitely transitioned over into my working position today."

"I was involved in College of Informatics Ambassador Program and Kappa Delta Sorority. In my Junior year at NKU, I started an internship at Great American as a Auto Insurance User Acceptance Tester. This was a great learning experience, as it helped me transition into my full time role at Great American."

"Personally, I found that college was all about balance. I learned to balance a social life and an academic career. I definitely think it is important to meet new people, try new things/go to events you normally would not, and to join groups and programs. Have fun along your college journey, but also remember your future career is what you are working towards over these few years. Always be looking to network when possible. Start early with reaching out to professors and faculty for guidance on internships or any opportunity that will push you to excel academically. Don't be afraid to ask questions or for advice, because everyone at NKU wants to see you succeed."