Student Profiles
Tom Crane
 Tom
Crane says that he came to the MSCIS program at SCS with several
goals in mind, one of which was to become a software developer.
Upon completing his first two programming classes, however,
he had an epiphany.
TC: I realized that writing
code isn't for me. There are others who do it better
and I should let them. Part of that realization came from
learning what possibilities existed for me in this industry,
which is something I hadn't anticipated would be a benefit
of the program.
Q: So what's your goal now?
TC: It was getting a new
job, but I accomplished that just after completing my last
class. I was able to network with my peers in the program
to the point where I had several interviews through those
contacts. I also wanted to teach, and other contacts from
the program led to an offer teaching undergraduates at another
college. My ultimate goal is to achieve a C-level executive
position in technology.
Q: Could you have foreseen that last
goal prior to undertaking your degree in SCS?
TC: I definitely think
that this program has helped me understand what it takes to
get to that level, and I think my educational background will
be a factor in achieving that goal.
Q: What led you to choose SCS?
TC: I researched all the
options available in the Chicago area: Illinois, DePaul, Notre
Dame, Chicago... but I think it was the flexibility of
SCS that decided it. I knew that I could complete the program
in two year's time, which was important to me. And reputation
was a big factor.
Q: What did you enjoy most about the
program?
TC: The friends I made.
The program requires a lot of work to be done in groups, so
we became close. I still hang out with people from class,
and I think many of us will remain friends for a long time.
Q: Why so much group work in MSCIS?
TC: It reflects the needs
of the industry. In the real world, a lot of IT work is
performed
in groups and you have to be a team player. At SCS, we research
together, write papers, develop formats for presentation,
then field questions from the class and professor-all in
groups. We're honing written, oral and teamwork skills--exactly
what's necessary to succeed in business.
Andrew Laytin
 Andrew Laytin decided to go back to school when he realized that his career was advancing down an unexpected path.
AL: I came from a business
background as an undergraduate, but I found myself working
as a software engineer. And like a lot of software engineers,
I just sort of picked it up as I went along, which meant that
I missed the basics of a computer science education. This
program gave me the information that every software engineer
needs to know.
Q: Could you give an example? How,
specifically, have your classes helped you in the workplace?
AL: You know, it's
uncanny how things would come up at work while I was learning
them. For example, I took a telecommunications class in
the winter
quarter. At work, we happened to be provisioning a voice
over IP protocol for some customers. I mean, I'd go to class
on Saturday, then come to work on Monday and I'd be
the subject-matter expert in our client meetings. I was implementing
what I learned almost immediately.
Q: How would you describe your experience
at Northwestern?
AL: There is definitely
a culture of excellence at Northwestern. But in SCS, there's
not as much competition with your peers-the competition
is really more with yourself.
Heidi Korthase
After graduating from Washington University in psychology
and African and African American studies, Heidi Korthase
had no clear career path in mind. But as she became increasingly
proficient in information technology she discovered her career
path was right beneath her feet.
Q: How did a job as a research assistant
in a psychology lab segue into a career in IT?
HK: We were studying eye
movement, a complex subject requiring very precise electronic
equipment and computer-based experiments.
I had to figure things out for myself. I ran cables through
the walls to set up the lab's first local area network.
Later I advanced to other jobs and learned to maintain PCs,
work the help desk, and do some programming. The more I learned
about IT, the more I liked it. Every day is a challenge,
an opportunity to solve a problem in a creative way.
Q: What's your current job?
HK: I'm database manager
at the American College of Healthcare Executives in Chicago.
In addition to maintaining and modifying
our databases, I develop new databases as our needs evolve.
Q: What made you decide to attend
the MSCIS program?
HK: I had an epiphany:
I had been working in IT for 10 years, and I realized that
this was my career and that I liked
it. I wanted to do this as a commitment to my career.
Q: Are your MSCIS classmates all
techies?
HK: Some have IT backgrounds,
some business backgrounds. There are people I can learn
from and people who can learn from
me. Both are good.
Q: What do you like about the program?
HK: It provides a good
balance of networking and telecommunications, software
development and programming, database, and Internet
technologies. I've been taking one class per quarter
while working full time, and that's allowed me to
maintain work/life balance.
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