Jeff Valodine has three words for future UWM students – “Do your homework.”
Valodine, who earned his B.S. in Information Science & Technology from the School of Information Studies, was one of the students featured in a video at the graduation ceremony May 12.
His other words of advice – “talk to your professors. They’re your friends and they want you to succeed.”
Valodine majored in information science & technology because he wanted to learn to code and it was “a little less math-heavy than other options. I got to learn many languages like Python, html, css, php and more. It was fun.”
He chose UWM because of its urban environment, Valodine said. “I chose UWM definitely because of the urban life. I went to another university in a small town and it was in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing to do besides being in that little tiny town.”
One of his favorite activities was going to Bucks games, using student rush tickets to make the events affordable. But he also enjoyed biking and skating, especially along the lakefront.
He believes, he said, that all the activities Milwaukee has to offer are an important part of the college experience though he advised doing homework before going out to have fun.
“There are so many things to do around here besides school, which helps you grow as a person and a young adult.”
Now that he’s graduated, Valodine is getting married, and heading to Utah to start job hunting. Utah has become home to many California transplants, he said, and is developing its own Silicone Valley. He’s confident that with his IST degree and his experience, he won’t have any trouble building a career.
For that, he is grateful to his advisors and faculty members, Valodine said.
“UWM has prepared me for my career by helping with my resumes, helping me learn how to apply for jobs, helping me stay on top of things, learn as best I can and helping me with tutoring if I needed it.”