Eleven Lebanon Valley College students in the Mathematical Sciences Department who completed paid internships this summer started their senior year with offers of full-time employment at those companies.

What’s the secret that makes LVC students in Actuarial Science, Computer Science, Data Science, and Mathematics so attractive to employers?

Nick Hamblet ’04, added his unique perspective as an alumnus who is now involved in hiring through his role as vice president of engineering at Commonwealth Computer Research, Inc. (CCRi) in Virginia.

“Our employees are always learning, so folks that can come in ready to read and practice and experiment to always improve always do well. The specific programming languages aren’t as important as the knowledge of the data structures and algorithms. LVC always stood out to me as a program that didn’t just teach that content but did so in a way that taught us how to learn, through directed reading and practice,” said Hamblet.

Hamblet earned his degree in Computer Science and Mathematics before receiving a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia. He has worked for 13 years at CCRi, moving from a systems engineer to director of software engineering before stepping into his current position.

If a prospective student came to me for advice, I’d say LVC is a great choice,” said Hamblet. “Find a place with caring and dedicated professors, like LVC has. Find somewhere with extra curriculars that are still related to your studies, like the Putnam and programming competitions. Find somewhere you can be comfortable, where you can focus on your studies, but still have fun.”