News

The internship program at the Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer started in 2015 with several SCC students taking advantage of the experience.

Stacey Warner graduated from SCC’s Computer Information Technology program in December 2020 with a focus in PC and web design. She started as an intern with the state and is currently a senior Java application developer. She felt SCC prepared her for her internship with the state.

“Through my educational journey at SCC, I was equipped with a strong programming foundation, particularly in the areas of database management and back-end frameworks,” Warner said. “While I did not know everything, the solid groundwork laid by SCC has empowered me to quickly acquire any necessary skills and knowledge I may need throughout my career.”

The web team at the state currently has five interns, and Warner is in a unique position as a recent intern who is now a team leader. She knows the value of the internship in shaping a full-time employee.

“The OCIO has cultivated a longstanding partnership with SCC, having collaborated closely for many years,” Warner explained. “It is worth noting that a significant portion of our current workforce are SCC alumni. This first-hand experience has enabled us to recognize the exceptional quality of SCC’s curriculum, which equips their students with the essential groundwork necessary for a prosperous journey within our organization.”

Jonathan Walrath joined the state as an intern in December 2022, working with the Finance team. He is part of a four-member team working on the Communication Billing System. He is set to graduate in the spring of 2024 and plans to continue working for the state.

“I am honestly learning something new every day, and cementing previously learned knowledge double as much,” Walrath said. “One non-programming tidbit I learned from this experience is how important it is to not only be able to program well, but also pick up and understand business environments and projects.”

Because he sees the benefits of his internship, Walrath encourages other students to take advantage of their opportunities as well. He was worried his skills were not polished enough to be a productive team member. He quickly realized this was not the case.

“It’s important to remember that interns are not expected to be experts in the field, but students,” he said. “You are not required to pull up from memory incredibly specific information about some programming language oddity. You are expected to use the resources that are available to find an appropriate answer. Further, you will have many incredible teammates who will help you when you need it.”

Jennifer Snyder
Communications Specialist
402-323-3393
jsnyder@southeast.edu