IS students take life steps through scholarships

Scholarships can have a massive impact on whether or not a student is able to afford their education. The Department of Information Systems has three scholarships funded by organizations that value the talented students who study here.

When the Arizona chapter of the Society for Information Management (SIM) increased the amount of its scholarship for a student majoring in IS to $2,000 for the 2014-15 academic year, it had a huge impact on the academic progress of Steven Beverly. “That scholarship kept me in school,” Beverly said. “My wife needed a life-saving surgery near the end of 2013 and our second child was born last year. We were very excited and blessed to be awarded that scholarship over people who equally deserved it.”

The Department of Information Systems has three scholarships funded by organizations that value the talented students who study here. In addition to the SIM scholarship that was so crucial to Steven Beverly, the department also awards the $1,000 MicroAge Information Systems Scholarship. The Richard Malone CIS Scholarships are supported by Edward D. Jones & Co LLP.

The scholarship, which gives three students $1,000 per year, honors the company’s retired CIO and is the longest-running of the trio of scholarships. The benefits of these scholarships go beyond financial assistance to include recognition of a person’s hard work and the opportunity to develop industry contacts. “You see the dollar amount, but there is also the budding relationship with people working in the field,” said department chairman Michael Goul. “It is a real growing experience. For example, in the case of the SIM scholarship, members enjoy meeting students. They see it as a revitalization of the field.”

Lessons learned

Laura Gagliano, a Malone Scholarship recipient, is part of a military family and grew up in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, a suburb of Honolulu. She came to ASU with the knowledge that she would never do anything with computers, but her first CIS class put her on a new path. “I heard about everything technology offered and I switched my major on the first day,” she said. Gagliano also has a strong interest in history. Her scholarship funds went toward an educational experience in Vienna, Austria, where she learned about early 19th Century history. Gagliano also had the opportunity to speak to a member of the U.S. Department of State. “I got to meet travelers from all over the world,” Gagliano said. “People at the United Nations (office in Vienna) talked about technology issues.

I learned about different perspectives regarding net neutrality and the implications for national security. It had an impact on how I view technology in the workplace.” Malone Scholarship recipient Carrie Dougher also had a memorable moment during her introduction to computer information systems. Her dad is good with computers, so when she took her first CIS class, it was a natural fit for her. Most of her scholarship award helped cover the basics, such as books and fees. Dougher decided during her sophomore year to focus on information systems. She also added a math minor to continue pursuing that interest. The dual disciplines helped Dougher nail down a job in a consulting role with Aon PLC, a global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. “What drove me to CIS and math was that while I was working on a task I was not counting the hours,” Dougher said. “I’m interested in solving and figuring out those things.”

Alexander Neumann, the third Malone Scholarship recipient, said the scholarship has kept him on track for a December 2015 graduation because he now can afford to take summer classes while he finishes his Barrett, the Honors College thesis. Neumann is one of the first students in the B.S. in Business Data Analytics program. “I think that the new business data analytics major is a perfect complement to the courses covered in the CIS major,” he said. “While the CIS major touches on some of the basics of data visualization and analytics, the new major provides a much more in-depth look at data mining, data visualization and how analytics in general can help a business succeed.”

Alexander Johnson was selected for this year’s MicroAge Information Systems Scholarship. Johnson rearranged his life in order to focus on academics: he transferred out of the Selected Reserve — the part of the United States Army Reserve that is most readily available for call-up to active duty — and gave up his job at AppleCare. He transferred to ASU in fall 2013 and took summer courses in 2014, and will again be enrolled in summer 2015 to finish his degree. “The scholarship has helped cover the extra expense of summer courses, which are not covered by financial aid,” Johnson said. “The MicroAge Scholarship has helped fill in the gap between my GI Bill and other financial, aid and I truly appreciate being given the financial aid when I need it the most.”

Focus on the future

In addition to the monetary effect of the scholarships, many of the recipients said there has been a secondary benefit: excitement from seeing your efforts recognized. “It’s not just the (financial) need part, but also recognition of achievement and everything I have put into my education,” Beverly said. Beverly, who is a senior manager over three IT departments at DHL Express, is now applying to MBA programs. “If not for that SIM scholarship, I would not be pursuing that as a next step,” he said.

Gagliano will work at ExxonMobil Corp. in the applications development area after she graduates in May. She is well prepared to start her career, thanks in part to her significant internships as a student: in supply chain at Chrysler after her sophomore year, and at KPMG, where she was a junior developer during her junior and senior years and worked in the IT attestation department last summer. For her undergraduate honors thesis, Gagliano was the head designer and developer for a mobile game titled “Sheep in Space.” “It’s exciting and I was honored to receive that Malone Scholarship,” Gagliano said. “There are so many students and we put in all that work and effort. It’s nice to receive that (recognition).”

Goul said the department is always thrilled to see the teaming of donors with students who are achieving and making impressive academic and occupational strides while representing the university. “These scholarship recipients … to be competitive, they have had internships, have been involved in student activities and leadership roles,” Goul said. “It is an icing on the cake for many things they have done.” The Department of Information Systems also offers a new program for undergraduates — the B.S. in Business Data Analytics.