Looking back on my history within Computer Club, it’s hard for me to believe that seven years have passed since I joined. I transferred from Michigan State University to Western Michigan University in 2008. This transitional period in my life was extremely stressful and tumultuous. In what seems like a single summer I moved halfway across the state, left all the friends I had made in my freshman year of college, and moved even further away from my family. While it may sound like an exaggeration, joining Computer Club was the best decision I made during my entire college career.
Like many Computer Club members, I was not a Computer Science student. I graduated WMU with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, taking the Computer Information Systems minor track. Between general education requirements and the full course load outlined in the BBA program, I was unable to take the amount of computer related classes as I desired. The Club was instrumental in filling this gap. Due to the diversity of the Computer Club members, both student and alumni, I was able to bridge the gaps in my curriculum. I learned cutting edge technologies and technical project management. Furthermore, I continued building the skills I acquired in my classes, taking these abilities and refining them in personal projects with my peers. While I might have learned best practices in class, I was able to experience the real world application of them though Computer Club.
The Computer Club has a very unique member base. In addition to current WMU students, the club boasts a very high retention rate. Many former students are still active in the Computer Club. In 2011, a 35 Year Anniversary Celebration was held. Well over one hundred active alumni were contacted. Despite many of them moving across the country to pursue careers in Silicon Valley and the likes, nearly 50 alumni made the trip out for the dinner. It was a wonderful event. Many new members were able to have face time and meet with the industry professionals behind the computer screen they had been talking to. These experiences help to form a lasting bond between all Computer Club members, regardless of age or skill level.
In addition to special events, the Computer Club hosts a server that all members get access to. This server is a great space for students to host personal projects, get familiar with a computer system they might not have yet seen, and experiment with new technologies and server administration. Additionally, this serves as a communication point for Computer Club members, hosting instant messaging that hundreds of people across the country use. This tool is a fantastic resource that is exclusive to Computer Club. The ability to directly communicate in a friendly and relaxed environment with not only peers, but industry leaders is invaluable. If a student were to have a question about real world applications of large scale data warehouses, they could use a search engine to find a fact sheet that a company has provided. A Computer Club member has the advantage of communication with its members; they could simply ask one of the Grid Systems Engineers who work at a company that serves 300 million members in over 200 countries, as well as participates in Computer Club.
While earning my degree at WMU, I worked as a student employee in the telecommunications area of The Office of Information Technology. Like me, a large majority of members hold student jobs on campus during their career as a student. This allows for members to stay involved in the WMU community, as well as help to recruit their peers. This mentality carries on after graduation. Alumni are frequently passing on job opportunities to other members. It’s hard to find a member who hasn’t gotten a job or an interview because of this.
It’s hard to fit my experience at Computer Club in a few short paragraphs. It’s served as a place of learning, a place of fun, and even a career center. It’s a place where I fostered lifelong relationships and grew as a person and professional. I like to look at it this way: the classes I took at WMU built the foundation of the person and professional I am today, and the Computer Club built the home I live in on top.