Get to know Hanna Foster, Junior CIS major and president of AITP. The Association of Information Technology Professionals is an organization that has kept pace with the changing needs and interests of the IT industry. It is a group composed of IT professionals, students, and numerous volunteers scattered across all fields, professions, and regions that have one goal: the advancement of individual growth through networking and mentoring to promote creativity in the IT world. Q: How will your major and AITP help you reach your goals?
By majoring in CIS I have taken a diverse set of IT courses. My degree will benefit me in the long run when I apply to various jobs in the IT industry. I will never be limited to just one field within IT or business. AITP has given me, as well as its members, the chance to build and maintain relationships with industry leading firms such as USAA, General Motors, ExxonMobil and Charles Schwab (just to name a few). I have learned hard skills in the lecture hall and important soft skills at AITP events. I have landed an internship with Charles Schwab for this summer on account of the skills my professors and AITP have taught me! By being involved in AITP, one can begin to really plan out post university employment due to our experienced faculty advisors and countless networking opportunities! By being involved in AITP I have been able to fill my resume with great experience companies look for in applicants.
Q: What resource on campus do you
recommend for students to utilize?
As a member of AITP, a CIS major, and a Tier I Service Desk
analyst at ITAC on campus, I cannot stress how helpful Lynda.com is to Texas
State students. By logging in to the site via http://www.tr.txstate.edu/training/lynda.html
with your netID and password you have instant access. Lynda contains training, tutorials
and practice material for virtually any subject offered at Texas State. I have
personally used it to study for my coding classes, and we use it in AITP at our
competition prep courses to ready our members for competition! Any major can
benefit from this site and it is FREE! It is a relatively new resource to TXST,
so the more Bobcats who know about it the better!
Q: What has been the most
meaningful part of your McCoy Experience?
To be completely honest, I jumped into CIS and McCoy as a freshman
not being completely sure what it really entailed. However, I immediately
wanted to get involved and learn more, so I showed up to the first AITP event
of the year back in 2013. I was hooked. AITP offered chapter meetings with
corporate speakers that could tell me more about what I would expect in the
classroom and post- graduation. I was surrounded by peers who shared the same
major and similar interests. I also developed a strong student- faculty
relationship with my faculty AITP advisors, Dr. David Wierschem and Mr. Kevin
Jetton. They helped me with career opportunities, letters of recommendation,
endless encouragement and life advice. The relationships with my friends and
faculty members have made me feel like a part of the AITP and McCoy family. I
would not give up my three years of involvement in AITP for anything. I
contribute my success in college to being a leader and member of AITP. Being a
part of this organization has helped shape me into the confident, strong, young
female I am today.
Q: What makes your organization special/unique?
Q: What makes your organization special/unique?
AITP differs from other organizations, because we offer more than
social outreach, professional development and networking opportunities. As a
whole we offer students all three, plus so much more!
You can build relationships with firms from day one, make friends at social events, and apply course knowledge at our Region 3 and National Collegiate Conferences held during the school year. We host a High School IT symposium that helps fund our trips as well as gives our members project development and execution experience. 500+ high school students across Texas attend and compete in tech contests our members create. They learn more about the university, enjoy a day devoted to their technical growth and see why being a CIS major and member of AITP is so great! Our members come together to make this symposium happen every fall and in turn get to put this awesome experience on their resumes. AITP is more than your average professional organization. We are devoted to your professional success! Members of AITP learn how to work on a team, while competition allows for reflection and growth of technical skills and by staying involved you can really become a well-rounded IT professional.
Q: What is something you wish
someone would’ve told you before you started your college journey?
To those who are afraid to fail… Many failures lead to great success. I wish I would have known that every time I was not “perfect”. Mistakes are actually a time to expand your knowledge and professional portfolio. By learning from my mistakes in the classroom, in life, and during times of leadership I have been able to become a better student, leader, and professional. You learn what to do and what not to do. So don’t be afraid to fall just make sure to get back up!
Q: How can students join your organization?
To those who are afraid to fail… Many failures lead to great success. I wish I would have known that every time I was not “perfect”. Mistakes are actually a time to expand your knowledge and professional portfolio. By learning from my mistakes in the classroom, in life, and during times of leadership I have been able to become a better student, leader, and professional. You learn what to do and what not to do. So don’t be afraid to fall just make sure to get back up!
Q: How can students join your organization?
It is so easy to join AITP! Semester dues are just $25 dollars a
semester, and you can pay them online at our brand new website: txstateaitp.com
You can also attend any of our events and pay in person by card or cash! You can
still access our old site at txstateaitp.org, but only for a limited time! Once
our new site is fully implemented, that .org site will no longer be available.
Web page: txstateaitp.com
