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Success Stories
Name:
Jason J. Burke
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Residence:
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Graduation Year:
2001
Majors:
Computer Science and Mathematics
Why did you choose SJC?
I chose Saint Joseph's College for a few reasons.
First, it was important for me to attend a Catholic school with a strong
liberal arts program. I thought that this kind of education would not only
provide me with technical skills, which change over time, but also with
people skills and lessons that would last me a lifetime. I also wanted to
attend a small college with strong computer science and baseball programs,
and after speaking with Computer Science Professor Brian Capouch and a baseball
coach from SJC, I knew the College met all of my criteria. As a student, what were you involved in?
I was a member of the baseball team, Noll Hall Governor,
involved with intramural sports, a Freshman Leader, Tutor for the Computer
Science and Math Departments, member of Alpha Lambda Delta freshman honor
society, and Student Administrator for SJC's Computer Science Department.
I also completed an internship the summer after my junior year with Discover
Financial Services in Riverwoods, Illinois, operator of the Discover Card
brands and the company I currently work for. As an intern, I was unique
because, in my classes at SJC, I had already been exposed to the kinds of
computer programs and languages used at Discover, while interns from other
colleges needed additional training. By the end of my internship, I had
a written an application that Discover is currently using to help maintain
employee information. During my internship, another SJC student, Brock Heinz '01, also interned there, and the two of us were able to form a relationship between Discover and SJC. Currently, there are five alumni who are employed full time with the company.
What are you doing now?
I am an Object-Orientated Programmer/Analyst for
Discover Financial Services, and my main duties revolve around J2EE application
development. I work on the International Internet team, where I help develop
and maintain Discover's Web sites for the United Kingdom. Among other things,
the Web sites accept online credit card applications and allow users to
maintain account information and apply for personal loans. How did SJC prepare you for the "real world"?
From a technical standpoint, the Computer Science
Department was several steps ahead of other colleges and universities, and
because of my coursework background, I was able to skip training sessions
and begin meaningful work right away. Also, the reading, writing, and discussion
I was exposed to in the Core Program prepared me for the tasks I perform
in my job every day, such as participating in meetings, discussing project
proposals, and writing technical and support documentation.
