Senior creative technologies major Patrick Groh is taking his considerable experience in programming and innovation to Yulista Aviation in Hunstville, Alabama, for a full-time, paid internship as soon as he graduates.
The admission counselor visiting Patrick’s high school piqued his curiosity about Berry’s creative technologies program, but Dr. John Grout and Dr. Nadeem Hamid got him really interested at a Discover Berry event.
Through Berry’s LifeWorks program, Patrick was able to get hands-on computer tech experience from the moment he got to campus, and get paid to do it. He started as a PC Support Technician who shadowed older students, but now younger students shadow him.
Patrick is also a lab assistant at HackBerry Lab, Berry’s campus maker space, where he’s developed into a master programmer and gotten to do a lot of custom coding. “Sometimes, computer science people can be a little elitist, but here Hackberry’s just super friendly. People want you to succeed. As long as you have the guts to ask, people want to help you,” Patrick says.
One of the best parts of his Berry experience has been the hack-a-thons hosted by HackBerry Lab where creative technology students work together to solve problems and present creations to the campus. He’s done 17 hack-a-thons so far in his Berry career, with more to come.
“Patrick has been one of our star creative technologies students ever since he arrived at Berry College,” says Creative Technologies Clinical Instructor Zane Cochran. “He has always shown an immense talent for creative problem solving by using his natural talent for developing technology. His constant drive for making technology better, and improving people’s lives through technology, is going to help him continue the success he’s had while he’s been here.”
A summer internship after junior year at Yulista Aviation led to an offer of a full-time, paid internship upon graduation that will prepare Patrick for a full-time job there.
“It can be what you make of it,” Patrick says of his life at Berry. “Get some help from the community. Professors are there to help you. Other students can be there who are willing to help you. Just because something seems scary from the outset doesn’t mean that it actually is. I wouldn’t have gotten into programming nearly as much if I hadn’t had Dr. Hamid and Zane to help me grow into what I am.”
staff writer
