Johanna Olivares

New York, NY
 

I came to the iSchool as a sophomore transfer from the College of Arts and Sciences. The transition wasn’t too difficult since we needed liberal arts courses in the iSchool curriculum, but I had many questions about my future career in information management and technology (IMT).  It is important for me to plan ahead and have a vision of what I need to accomplish, so I became a frequent visitor to the advisors, attempting to keep track of my course load. With the guidance of the undergraduate counselors, I was able to plan out my first semester (and more), learning what courses I needed and what courses I was interested in.
 

As I got more settled into the iSchool, I found professors who were willing and able to guide my career through their suggestions of internships and courses. My professors provided the foundation, support and skills needed for me to succeed within the IMT program. To add to my IMT knowledge I took part of the GET (Global Enterprise Technology) minor curriculum to improve my business and corporate proficiency. With the support of the iSchool, the GET minor, and the well appreciated listservs for internships and jobs, I was able to obtain an internship with R/GA, HBO, and JP Morgan Chase. In each of the internships I gained skills and knowledge of what I did not want to do and what I wanted to do with my IMT degree. Through my last internship at JP Morgan, I obtained a working knowledge of the corporate financial industry and increased my interest towards IT security and risk.
 

In the iSchool, I became part of several student organizations, mainly the Women in Information Technology (WIT) group.  Because of WIT, I was able to meet and get to know many employers from IBM, Ernst and Young, Deloitte, and JP Morgan Chase and I was able to build my network with students and faculty. As an Alumni Leader, I want the opportunity to keep assisting WIT by representing my employers and my career path and to showcase women that are joining and sustaining the information technology field and keeping it open to others to discover and explore.
 

As a former student with lots of questions, I am excited to be an Alumni leader and help other students answer questions about their future.   I look forward to assisting students and alumni to stay students connected with the University. Please feel free to get in touch with me at jolivare@syr.edu or at alumni events!