On February 1, 2013 a group of Information Technology professionals and Illinois State students came together in the Fouders Suite of the Bone Student Center to launch the School of Information Technology’s Professional Mentorship Program. The program was conceived largely as a response to feedback from industry partners and advisory councils that stressed the increasing importance of soft skills that compliment technical skills in the professional environment. The IT Professional Mentorship Program seeks to help students:
- Become aware of and explore the possible career paths in IT
- Become familiar with the responsibilities and duties of IT professionals in various roles
- Understand the connection between academic studies and the career path that appeals to them
- Pursue activities and associations that promote their desired career path
- Develop the required soft skills to become successful IT professionals
This program is the result of the collective efforts of College of Applied Science & Technology Dean Jeff Wood; School of Information Technology Director Joaquin Vila-Ruiz; BIAC sub-committee members David Nolan – Caterpillar (Chair), Tyler Donahue – Country Financial, Elias Sahyouni – Country Financial (Student BIAC Rep.), John Hinsberger – Hitachi, Bryan Hosack – ISU, Tal Parmenter – ISU and student representative Brad Hasse – President of the IT student chapter of ACM.
The School of Information Technology thanks all who contributed to the creation of the program and the professionals who are generously committing their time and efforts as mentors to help our students be more successful. Pictures of the event can be seen on Facebook.
