Utica native Justine Imundo M.S., \u201817, \u201918, admits a career in software development might have been overlooked if her interest in the STEM field had not been piqued by an opportunity in high school through the BOCES Regional Program for Excellence.<\/p>\n
Justine, who currently works as a Software Developer for Capraro Technologies Inc., Utica, first got a glimpse of the field in 2013 after being chosen for the program which offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to explore career options through a 72-75-hour summer internship.<\/p>\n
\u201cI chose Capraro Technologies through word-of-mouth and my vague interest in software development,\u201d she said. \u201cThe internship really opened my eyes to the endless possibilities in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company, founded in 1993, specializes in open-source cloud computing technologies, custom software development, information technology, and video surveillance systems and is located less than three miles from SUNY Poly\u2019s Marcy campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that was really big for me in choosing a college was the fact SUNY Poly is a local college that I could stay at home for and, obviously, the other big one was it had computer science,\u201d she said. \u201cI knew a few people in the past who went there for computer science as well as other degree programs, and they mentioned to me that they really enjoyed going there.\u201d<\/p>\n
During her time spent earning her master\u2019s degree at SUNY Poly, Justine said Dr. Michael Reale and Dr. Chen-Fu Chiang, both Assistant Professors of Computer Science, went above and beyond to prioritize students\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey both made learning very fun, answered questions thoroughly, applied their\u00a0curriculum to the real world, promptly responded to emails, and were always available outside of class for questions,\u201d Justine said.<\/p>\n
In 2015, while an undergraduate student at SUNY Poly, Justine received a call from Capraro Technologies with an offer for a second internship which she gladly accepted. After having taken a few college courses since her last internship, she felt better prepared to take on new challenges for potential projects.<\/p>\n
While Justine was interning at Capraro Technologies, she received her bachelor\u2019s degree in Computer and Information Science in May 2017. She continued her internship while also pursuing a master\u2019s degree of the same title. Following graduation in 2018 with her master\u2019s degree, Justine accepted a full-time position with Capraro Technologies.<\/p>\n