This is the first of what we hope will be many brief visits with MCSP grads. Please send your replies in!
Mark Lucas is a 2009 graduate with a Mathematics major. Mark went to graduate school in Computer Science at George Washington University. We suspect that he does not own a selfie stick.
- Where are you living and what are you doing?
I still live here in Roanoke. I am a Software Engineer and Lead Developer at SoftSolutions, Inc. - How do you like your job? What’s one of your favorite things about work?
I love my job. I get to design and implement solutions for Database, Application, UI back-end and UI front-end, instead of just one of the four. I work closely with manufacturers and printers, so I get to see the effect that my software has. It really is a great experience. - How was it adjusting to life outside of Roanoke College? Are you busier now than you were at on campus?
I was a non-traditional student. I already had 3 kids, and I worked (part-time) the entire time I was in school; in other words, I was busy pretty much every second of every day. At my current job, I handle customer interaction, design, implementation, and management duties (it is a small company), but my kids are older and more self sufficient. All in all, nothing has really changed. - What’s one thing you miss about MCSP?
While my job is varied enough to keep my interest, everyone that I interact with daily does pretty much the same thing that I do. At school I was involved in PME, the Astronomy Club, and the ACM. At work, my field has narrowed considerably. - Do you have any advice for the current students in MCSP?
Technology and computer languages are continuously evolving. What you are really learning in school is critical thinking, problem solving, and troubleshooting. A person who has honed those skills has way more career and academic options than one who knows a specific language or platform.
