Alumni Profiles - Computer Information Systems
Joshua Evers
Joshua Evers graduated in May of 2021. He is studied Management Information Systems
here at Aquinas and played on the men’s volleyball team. His reason for choosing Management
Information Systems is that he enjoyed the computer science classes he took at his
high school and community college. Joshua had a great interest in computers and design
and wanted to pursue a career in Web Page Design or Web Development. One of his favorite
things about his major was working with a variety of individuals and problem solving together.
Joshua chose Aquinas because he wanted to explore new places and play volleyball at
Aquinas while studying Management Information Systems.
"One of my favorite things about my major is that I get to work with a variety of individuals and problem solve together."
A few hobbies he enjoys are off-roading, hiking, working on his car, and playing beach volleyball. Joshua comes from Irvine, California, and plans to stay in Grand Rapids for a few years after graduation.
Francesco Calabrese
Alumni Francesco Calabrese has found success after graduating with a degree in Management
Information Systems from Aquinas College in May 2020. He currently works as a dispatcher
at Martin Transportation Systems, and in the future, he hopes to be promoted to Planner
or Fleet Manager where he could get more experience in a management position. Francesco's
diverse work history and balance between working full time and attending school full
time helped him land his job. His degree was just the cherry on top. He likes his
job because there is always something for him to do to keep him busy, which makes
the days fly by.
“Learning about the different systems at Aquinas has helped me quickly grasp the software that Martin Transportation Systems uses on a daily basis.”
He says that learning and understanding SQL has helped him tremendously when it comes to company-generated reports. Franco’s favorite memory from Aquinas was during his sophomore year on the men’s soccer team when they came back from a deficit of 3-0 and beat University of Northwestern Ohio 4-3 on homecoming.
Kevin Clinthorne
“What I learned in class provided the building blocks for understanding. Learning basic coding and infrastructure concepts was critical.”
Aria Cusenza
Alumni Aria Cusenza graduated in 2020 with her degree in Computer Information Systems
and currently works in auto-owners insurance. Aria had various internship experiences
that she did while at Aquinas that gave her a wide variety of skills and knowledge
and strengthened her resume. Combined with her resume, being able to interview well
helped her secure her job. She has gained experience doing many different things within her position, which has
been beneficial to her growth.“One of my favorite parts of my job are the people that I work with. I also like how my job gives me the flexibility to do technical work, but also talk to others and work with other teams.”
Having an Aquinas education helped her gain fundamental knowledge of the different parts of Information Technology. Her education also helped her grow her skills in troubleshooting and working in team environments, which she uses constantly in her current position. Aria would like to continue to learn and grow in her current position and see where it leads her in the future. Some of her favorite memories at Aquinas include hanging out with her friends, playing pool at the Moose, and being able to take classes related to her various interests.
Ty Smith
Alumni Ty Smith has found success after graduation from Aquinas College. Ty graduated
in 2020 with a dual major in Computer Information Systems and English and is currently
working as a Junior Developer at Auto Owners Insurance at their main office in Lansing.
He was initially contacted by a recruiter in the spring of 2020 who had seen his resume
and thought that this position would be a great fit for him. Taking the classes that
he did helped him find success in this area.Ty notes that his time at Aquinas has helped him in his career. It taught him to work in teams and gave him a robust toolbox that helped him to adapt and learn in real-world situations.
“During the interview, my interviewer mentioned how impressed they were with my knowledge of C# as well as the project management classes I took. The fact that my capstone involved programming for a client in C# was noted as well.”
Ty says that Auto Owners is a great place to work in general. He enjoys his coworkers and the culture the company fosters, especially when it comes to work-life balance. They’ve been very accommodating as far as his training and onboarding go, since it has been entirely remote.
Ty’s favorite memory from his time at Aquinas was studying abroad in Ireland, and he hopes to go back to college and get his Master’s someday.
Adrien Yondo
Adrien Yondo, a Grand Rapids native, studied Computer Information Systems at Aquinas College. She chose this major because she took a few coding classes in high school and fell in love with it. One thing she liked about her coding classes is that she enjoyed the satisfaction of finishing her code and seeing that it all works. Knowing she did it herself and watching her creation run is an excitement that other coders can relate to. After Aquinas, Adrien would like to pursue a career in Web Development or work within an Information Technology department at a high school because she loves working with kids. Adrien chose Aquinas because it is the best of both worlds for her.
She got to play the sport she loves, which is volleyball, and she pursued her degree in Computer Information Systems. Outside of the classroom, Adrien played on the Aquinas women’s volleyball team. Adrien worked hard and excelled in the classroom and on the volleyball court. Her favorite thing to do at Aquinas was hanging out with her friends and playing volleyball with her teammates.
"One thing I like about my coding classes is that I enjoy the satisfaction of finishing my code and seeing that it all works. Knowing I did it myself and watching my creation run is an excitement that other coders can relate to."
Isaiah Jackson
Student-Athlete Isaiah Jackson is from Caledonia, MI, studied Computer Information Systems, ran on the Aquinas Track team, and was part of the Aquinas Student Athlete Leadership Team, also known as S.A.L.T. Isaiah wanted to follow in his sister’s footsteps and pursue a degree in legal studies, but that all changed when he took a computer science course in high school. Isaiah has always been technical. When he was a child, he tried to teach himself programming and enjoyed basic robotics in his middle school class. Isaiah said, “Computer Information Systems gave me this sense of freedom that I didn't have, so I really enjoyed it. I could create whatever I wanted.” He used his interest to work as a technician for the Aquinas helpdesk. Isaiah has used his skills to create websites for small businesses and teamed up with another small marketing business to help bigger businesses. He also had an internship that allowed him to give technical support and learn additional skills in the workforce.
"Computer Information Systems gave me this sense of freedom that I didn't have so I really enjoyed it. I could create whatever I wanted."
Alongside academics, Isaiah was also is a leader on Aquinas's track team. He ran the 60m and the 110m hurdles, as well as long jump. One of his goals was to beat the #1 best all-time in the 60m hurdles at Aquinas. The time is 8.10 seconds, and Isaiah holds the 2nd fastest time of 8.33.
Outside of school and track, Isaiah liked to spend time with his friends and family. On campus, he and his friends played night football on the soccer field, relaxed and played video games, or played cards with his roommates.