IT Careers: Virtual Event
South Lyon Community Schools
IT Careers – Virtual Career Club Event
Today! March 31, 2021
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
All Students & Staff Welcome
Join with Google Meet Code: Careers
Guest Panelists:
Stephen Baer, Managing Partner, The Game Agency
Stephen Baer is the founder of Inc Best Workplaces Company, monthly contributor to Forbes.com & regular speaker at EdTech conferences. Stephen creates games to educate and activate audiences. Since launching The Game Agency 13 years ago and The Training Arcade 3 years ago, Stephen has developed award-winning games for new-employee on-boarding, sales and product training, leadership development, safety, security, compliance, systems & processes, customer service, and many other training topics. Stephen has also helped shape the education industry and disrupt traditional learning methods with the creation of interactive games for S.T.E.M, Financial Literacy and Social Skills which have been deployed in thousands of schools.
Daniel Bedich, Maestro, Senior UX Designer
Daniel Bedich is a Sr. Product Designer at Maestro, a digital agency based out of Kalamazoo, MI. He leads a team that works on a wide range of software projects spanning from learning management systems to augmented reality. Responsible for all things related to the user experience and user interface, he and his team operate at the intersection of technology and design.
Learn more about Maestro at https://meetmaestro.com/
Nidhi Bhatia, Verizon, Senior Wireless Design Engineer
Nidhi Bhatia is a Verizon InBuilding Engineer who helps make wireless coverage inside buildings and classrooms happen! Nidhi is responsible for the implementation of 5G Network IN Building Systems end to end and partners with various business teams in understanding and designing future systems for providing wireless coverage to customers. This is where Nidhi is able to put her passions to work everyday by driving towards innovation in technology thus changing the digital landscape. Nidhi’s background is radio frequency engineer and building engineer. Nidhi holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Her hobbies are walking, traveling, and spirituality. Nidhi’s favorite quote is from Ghandi, “Be the Change you wish to see in the world.”
Deborah Gowan, University of Michigan, Director of Application Operations, Information & Technology Services
Deborah Gowan works for Information & Technology Services, University of Michigan’s central IT organization that provides critical systems to faculty, staff and students. She manages several teams of System Administrators, Software Developers and Business System Analysts who support the teaching, learning and research missions of the U. She also helps coordinate the internship program which brings approximately 35 college students to ITS for 14 weeks every summer. The internship program has grown over the past seven years and had more than 600 applicants from across the country this year. Ms. Gowan enjoys mentoring young people interested in making a career in Information Technology.
Joe Paddock, MSC Industrial Supply Co., IT Systems Engineer
Joe Paddock works for MSC Industrial Direct, Co. in the IT or I&O (Information and Operations) department as a Systems Engineer Level 3 for the IT Design and Projects group. Joe has been with MSC Industrial Supply Co. for 21 years, the last 3 as part of the Design Team. In this role, Joe works on upcoming software to incorporate into MSC Industrial Supply Co. After careful analysis, the Design Team recommends which server’s Operating System to use and or versions; then, the team develops the build and organizes the installation of the software. The Design Team works closely with the various business units within the company to assess the needs of each unit, develop the necessary product and service offerings to meet these needs, and design plans to roll out usage. Prior to being on the design team, Joe was on the Server Operations side of IT. During that time, he built the server and did the Install process. MSC Industrial Supply Company’s IT Design Team also did the maintenance of the server and all the upkeep of the environment.
https://www.mscdirect.com/
Sara Ramaswamy, Apple, Engineering Product Manager
Sara Ramaswamy is a technical product manager at Apple who graduated from the University of Michigan in 2019. She has experience in user experience research, design, engineering, and ethical debate. Her experience in ethical debate has taught her the importance of empathizing with others; this has had a profound impact on the way that she approaches her personal and professional endeavors. In her free time, she enjoys singing in an a cappella group, painting, and furthering her learning through online software engineering courses.
