Family Legacy and Alumni Network Propel Student's Career Success

I've been around print my whole life with my family having been in the offset folding carton business since 1960! This program drew me in with the low student to teacher ratio, technology, hands on and co-op program that RIT has, setting us up for guaranteed success after graduating. An alumnus of the graduate program, Yash Dhote, helped me get my co-op as a Production Optimization Intern at Brook and Whittle in Hamilton, OH. He has been working for this company for the last three years and when he talked to me about it, it sounded like my dream job. I asked him to forward my resume to his supervisors and got an interview in another plant that specialized in digital printing, the industry segment I wanted to specialize in!

A STEM guy at heart, I helped the company rebuild their color calibration and end-of-shift reporting systems. I helped automate both these reports leading to significantly less supervisor downtime, human errors and the ability to make data informed decisions. My favorite project has to be the automated end of shift report as I was able to build upon my database skills learned in school as well as develop my Excel and Power BI skills, which are in high demand in every industry. 

To high school students, don't limit yourself to generic programs and careers, make use of multifaceted programs like this to open up your careers to endless opportunities, while learning a wide array of valuable skills. Also, once you're here, participate in every conference, competition and networking events to make as many connections as you can because you'll never know when they pay off!