Cameron Kochenower is a student in the College of Business Administration (CBA) and CSE Senior Design. He recently accepted a job at Pen-Link, a Lincoln-based company whose focus lies on software development. In the following, he talks about CSE, why CSE majors should minor in business, and how Senior Design helped him land his job.
Bits & Bytes (BB): You are a CBA student. What motivated you to take the Senior Design course?
Cameron Kochenower (CK): I was originally looking for something to differentiate myself, as well as the chance to get some real world experience. When the opportunity to take the Senior Design course presented itself, it was a perfect way to meet these goals.
B&B: What was your project?
CK: The project that my team and I are currently working on for the Nebraska Global BeeHive Division is called GeoBee. Project GeoBee is a geographical asset editing tool. Our team is a mini research and development team for Nebraska Global, and we are creating software that will be handed off to their development team after our class is finished. They plan to use our geographical asset editing tool with their current software to provide an unparalleled geographical asset management tool.
BB: What is the course like and what have you taken away from it?
CK: The senior design course is an eye opener to what is waiting for you after graduation. It has helped me find what I have a real interest in.
BB: Congratulations on your recent hire. Can you tell us about the company and what you will be doing? How did senior design help you secure the job?
CK: The company that I am currently working into a full time position for is called Pen-Link. Pen-Link provides Law Enforcement and Intelligence agencies with state-of-the-art software and systems for the collection, storage, and analysis of telephonic- and IP-based communications. I will be working on their Quality Assurance and Development Team. I believe that having the Senior Design project as a topic of discussion in my interview, as well as the skills I learned from my fellow team members, really helped me secure this opportunity.
BB: How do you see your business and CSE courses interacting and influencing your career?
CK: I believe that my CSE and business courses have created a foundation for which I can continue to build my knowledge and become more productive and successful.
BB: What has been your overall experience in the department?
CK: I have limited experience in the CSE department but my overall experience has been very rewarding. The instructors are very knowledgeable and friendly.
BB: Would you recommend senior design to other CBA students? Why or why not?
CK: I would recommend the senior design to other CBA students because it really provides a leg up when job searching. The type of CBA student that would really like the Senior Design course should have a high interest in technology. No matter the area of interest, there is bound to be some Senior Design project that will peak their interest.
BB: If you were asked why a CSE student should take a business minor, what would be your response?
CK: I believe that with the right courses taken from the business school, a CSE student could learn some valuable skills that would help them be a more marketable and well-rounded individual.