Cara Benjamin

Caitlin Allen

What made you choose Champlain?

Besides the specialized degree, the Upside-Down Curriculum and the career focus of the school made me feel that investing my time at Champlain would make me successful. I liked that my first two years wouldn’t be classes not related to my major, and instead, I could use my first year to see if I liked what I was doing and also learn basic skills that many employers seek in entry-level positions.

How has Core changed your perspective of yourself and the world?

Core touched on a lot of topics that made me challenge my own beliefs and learn about how my actions impact those around me. In the end, it has made me think in a more global and open-minded way that I can now apply to my field. I’ve thought more about the ethics and morals I have when it comes to the type of work I would do in my field, where I want to work, and how I impact the world we live in. This is really emphasized in our Capstone, and I like how, in our final year, we are forced to examine how we impact the world through our career field.

Are you involved in any clubs or activities on campus?

I’m the Communications Lead for Women in Technology, a club focused on providing a safe and inclusive space for our women and non-binary students in the Division of Information Technology & Sciences Division and Game Studio. Here, we provide support for those who need it, connect with other minorities in the technology field, and learn about different topics like intersectionality, networking, and cool technical topics like election hacking or game organization!

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Gabby Ashley

What do you like about your program?

The professors in the Psychology major are all some of the smartest and most kind people I have ever met. Every psych class I have taken has taught me so much about myself and the world around me. The Advanced Research course gave me the opportunity to design and create something that I wanted to do, and something that made me proud of myself and how much I’ve learned in my major. It was probably my favorite class I’ve ever taken at Champlain.

Tell us about your internship!

I did a remote internship in Fall 2020, and it ended up being something entirely unique! I created a documentary about my research project for my Advanced Research class. I interviewed friends that went to Champlain and others who had suffered from impostor syndrome. This was an entirely unique experience and something that my advisor and the people at Career Collaborative advocated for me to do!

In what ways do you think your classroom work prepared you for your internship, and how will these experiences give you a competitive advantage in your field after graduation?

Interviewing my friends and being sensitive about their insecurities was something I had to handle when talking with them about how they felt like impostors. Being able to have a level of empathy with people is important, especially if they are your friends.I think by showing my flexibility and creative thinking, I will be able to stand out compared to others in my field because I was able to create something in a unique environment-especially since I had no formal education in filmmaking when making the documentary.

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Alexia Bowie

Favorite Class

Digital Forensic Analysis

Why does your field matter?

As technology and crime grows, the world needs and deserves a group of people to beable to properly analyze different incidents related to the digital world, and do it well. At Champlain, I can honestly say I have been set up for the best in terms of placing my foot in the door to professional experiences and helping others in the best way possible.

So far, what classes, projects, or experiences have been most impactful for you?

The classes that have been the most impactful, specifically, are my Core classes. In these classes, I have honestly learned some of the most eye-opening and interesting concepts such as the importance of culture, different kinds of sciences, and philosophy. I began to view the world differently and more positively upon completing the courses, and I genuinely appreciate those experiences so much.

What do you want to be ready for upon graduation, and how is Champlain helping you get there?

Upon graduation, I want to be ready to enter a professional environment and willing to take advantage of opportunities given to me. Champlain has helped and pushed me toward getting there by the various programs they have offered to me, dedicated to establishing a professional image and presenting new opportunities to people like me.

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James Kainth

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Alexander Marvi

Internship

Cyber Security intern at ComCode GmbH in Gröbenzell, Germany

So what do you like about the Cybersecurity major?

I like to say it’s more of a lifestyle than a major because it’s one of those fields that is evolving every single day. You can be the smartest cybersecurity person alive and know everything, but if you were to drop off the face of the Earth for a year and come back, you would be behind. Things change every day, and to stay on top of it you have to follow the news and talk with people in the industry. It’s a very tight-knit community. We help each other out because you can’t go about this stuff single-handedly.

Can you tell us about your ComCode internship?

I worked for ComCode GmbH in Gröbenzell, Germany as a Cyber Security Intern focusing on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) research and development. I was responsible for two main projects, including a live investigation to help businesses understand what sensitive information could be gathered and reported to a company from the internet that could be potentially destructive to those businesses. I was hands-on throughout the entire investigation, using a lot of tools in a new field I had never encountered before.

How did Champlain prepare you for this internship?

Champlain’s unique approach to tech classes prepared me by giving me a solid foundational knowledge of cybersecurity before starting the internship. Most importantly, my classes taught me how to learn. At Champlain, we learn how to dig into a topic, research it, and master it even if we’ve never encountered it before. I can teach myself to utilize new technology to do my job in a fast and efficient manner.

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