Kaitlin Greene

2017

Current job title and employer and briefly describe what it is you do: I currently work at Travelers, a property and casualty insurance company in Hartford, CT. I am a participant in the IT Leadership Development Program, which is a four-year rotational program that offers participants the opportunity to experience a variety of roles in both technology and management. I am currently an application developer for the eBusiness department, which develops customer-facing applications and enterprise capabilities. The app that I am working on is a self-service portal app for injured workers whose employers are insured by Travelers for Workers Compensation insurance.

Academic experience at Saint Michael's College help prepare you for your career: The professors and extracurricular opportunities at Saint Michael’s were instrumental in preparation for my career. The professors in the Computer Science department brought an interdisciplinary approach to their courses that helped me develop both a strong technical acumen as well as softer skills like networking, presentation delivery and writing. These skills help me to communicate effectively and leverage technology in the workplace. Being a MOVE Core Team Leader and having campus jobs at the Helpdesk and Office of Admissions allowed me to develop strong communication skills, empathy and critical thinking. It was this balance of technical and academic rigor juxtaposed with the opportunities to pursue experiences in service and teamwork that prepared me for life after college.

Favorite memory or class from your time studying at St. Mike’s: I took a few Computer Science electives with Professor Pangborn and landed on the guest list for some of the most lavish pizza parties I’ve ever attended. One thing Professor Pangborn and I seem to have in common (besides a love for cooking, books, and algorithms) happens to be a connection with the Philosophy department (I took three Philosophy classes with Professor Izzi). I remember one particular pizza party where Professor Izzi and Professor Olson attended and we all talked about everything from music and politics to heated debates about which ones of Professor Pangborn’s homemade pizzas was the best. That night was everything I hoped for in college: brilliant professors that I look up to, good conversation, and pizza. Professor Izzi also hosts lovely pizza parties, but he orders out.

Other information you would like to share or advice for incoming or current students: Take advantage of the liberal arts curriculum and the professors. I never would have thought of the connections between Philosophy and Math until I took courses in both. I never would have thought of the connections between Dance and Computer Science until I took courses in both. The liberal arts curriculum allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and learn about things I never would have explored otherwise. I also never would have thought that I would get so close with professors and staff members, even some that I only took one class with. I’ve done yoga with Liz Moore from the Dance department on a Saturday afternoon, hung out with Professor Pangborn in the Linux lab past 10pm, and brushed my teeth under the stars in South Dakota with Kate Floyd on a MOVE extended service trip. The people who work at Saint Michael’s truly go above and beyond for the students, and I don’t think you can find connections like that anywhere else.