What is/are your major(s)? minor(s) – if other than Software Engineering?
Minor in Cyber Security
What influenced your decision to choose Software Engineering? Tell us a little bit about your path getting here.
I had been involved with FIRST robotics since elementary school, and when I got to the high school level my team had need of a programmer. I tried it, found it to be a lot of fun, and decided to stick with it!
Where is your “hometown”? Fun fact about home?
Denver, Iowa – It is known as the “mile wide city.”
“Put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to fail.” – Jaden Forde (SE ’23)
What are you involved in at the university (or off)?
I work as a Peer Mentor for the SE Learning Community, I am very involved with the Robotics Club, I am involved in the University Honors Program, and I play saxophone at St. Thomas Aquinas church.
What was your favorite part of student life? And why?
My favorite part of student life has certainly been meeting new people. Coming from a very small town with a graduating class of 52, it’s been really great to get to know so many different people through the things I’ve been involved in. I think that’s one of the best parts of college, just the huge number of cool people who are also here to learn and grow!
Have you had any SE internships? If so, where and what role did you play? What did you like most about your role?
I interned at NISC which was remote, and at Garmin in Olathe, KS. At both places I was part of a team that developed backend applications for processing and delivering customer data according to their requests (different types of data though, telecom vs aviation!). I was fortunate to have really great teams at both internships, and my favorite part was probably just interacting with my team members and learning a lot from their experience.
What are your plans after graduation?
I will be joining John Deere as part of their IT Engineering Development Program.
If you could give an incoming SE Program student advice, what would it be?
Put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to fail. This is one of the best times in your life to get involved and try new things, and ISU has all sorts of opportunities whether it be organizations, cool classes, or weird little events/workshops put on by different groups.
What’s one random fun fact about yourself you’d be willing to share?
I really really like mountain biking. In Iowa that means biking on dirt trails in the woods, and it’s my favorite outdoor activity by far.