Kelsey Kerber '21

“My Eberly College of Business story began during my sophomore year at IUP. I had originally started at IUP as a computer science major in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.  I believed this to be the major for me, as I had taken a few programming and cybersecurity courses in high school and fell in love with the topic. During my freshman year I found I loved working with computers and technology, however programming was not the career path for me. I met with my advisor and was referred to the management information systems (MIS) major in Eberly. I immediately loved this option and felt much more connection to the material, the professors, and my fellow classmates. The professors were very welcoming and approachable, while amazing to learn and grow from. My advisor and department chairperson were both amazing resources and mentors during my time at IUP. One of the most extraordinary aspects of my major was the virtualization lab, which allowed the unique opportunity of hands-on training in the very important concept of creating virtual machines, which is very relevant in modern IT. Eberly has truly prepared me for the professional world through their classes, programs, and organizations. The only change I would make about my IUP experience would be joining Eberly College of Business sooner.

Being involved on campus was a very important aspect of my time at IUP. I joined multiple organizations such as the Association of Management Information Systems, Phi Gamma Nu Professional Business Fraternity, and the Eberly College of Business Student Advisory Council. Along with being a member of the Cook Honors College, I held an on-campus job as an IT Support Student Technician, and volunteered around Indiana, keeping myself very busy through my four-year college career. Through all these amazing experiences, I learned so much from the events and meetings and met so many of my best friends.

I also had the opportunity to participate in professional events such as the 2020 Conference for Women, Business Day, a plethora of professional speaker events, and two internship experiences.  In the Spring of 2019, I participated in the Disney College Program as an intern. It had been a dream of mine from a young age to be a part of the Disney experience during my time in college. I had the opportunity to take a semester off and work for the Walt Disney Company at both their EPCOT and Hollywood Studios theme parks, while taking professional development classes to assist me in my future career. In the Summer of 2019, I accepted another internship with United States Steel as an Identity and Access Management Intern performing cybersecurity work. I held this internship until my graduation, which transitioned into fulltime employment upon graduation. It was thanks to the amazing professors and courses in the Eberly MIS department that I was able to feel prepared and become successful in this position.

I hope to return to Eberly to share my professional experiences with the organizations I used to be a part of. I would love to become a mentor to the women aspiring to be in my field, as women are widely underrepresented in IT roles. Overall, I hope to offer the support that was offered to me as a student, which helped me become who I am now and who I hope to become in the future. Becoming a donor to Eberly and the Cook Honors College is a goal of the future for me. Both IUP colleges have been instrumental in my success and offered me so much support that I want to provide the same for future students.

IUP’s Eberly College of Business was my home for four years and I could not have asked for a better experience. The amazing professors had an interest in not only my academic success, but who I was and how I was doing as a person. I cannot thank them enough for their time and mentorship. Both IUP and Eberly provided me with classes, organizations, and events that helped my professional development and prepared me for internships and future employment. I look back on my time in college with nothing but fondness and gratitude.”