Marian community helps student net a job well before receiving diploma

As a Management Information Systems major and Information Technology minor, Will Polczynski knows all about the value of connections. Having graduated on Friday, the New Berlin, Wisc., native has certainly come to learn a lot in his time at Marian University about the inner workings of computers – but it’s the connections he’s made with students, staff, and faculty that have allowed him to get a full-time job lined up well before walking the graduation stage.

From athletic career to professional career

Former assistant basketball coach Marcus Wiegert was the first to mention Marian to Polczynski, who then visited campus and immediately connected with the tour guide and Wiegert’s fellow coach Mark Boyle.

Only an hour from home, Polczynski also appreciated that he was able to bring in a semester’s worth of credits from high school and would have the chance to connect with faculty more given Marian’s low student:faculty ratio.

Becoming part of Marian’s men’s basketball program specifically taught Polczynski the value in time management. He described his time on the team as like a full-time job, having to manage morning shoot-arounds and afternoon practices or games.

“Some of my best friends I met in college were from the basketball team, which I needed because I came here not knowing anyone,” he added.

From the classroom to the board room

While he began as a Businesses Management major, Polczynski discovered his interest in technology during his first semester and benefitted from Marian’s simple major change process to switch to Management Information Systems. This led him to connect with advisor Dr. Michael Doherty, who subsequently taught several of Polczynski’s classes.

“The combination of business and technology was the perfect fit for me,” Polczynski said. “And the classes I had with Professor Doherty, they taught me many valuable lessons that I will be able to use in my career and when I am in the field.”

When not hitting the boards he was hitting the books, and Marian’s classes taught him how business processes are used and how technology can be applied in various aspects of business. This led him to earn an internship at FIS, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based company that provides financial software, services, and solutions, during summer 2019.

“The classes I took at Marian really prepared me to enter the working world,” Polczynski said. “Marian set me up perfectly.”

From helping us to helping others

Polczynski never stressed out when graduation was on the horizon. He spent his last semester working at Marian’s TechHUB as a Technical Assistant, helping students and staff.

“It’s really allowed me to create more connections with people in the field I’ll be entering, along with improving my computer skills,” Polczynski said.

Now done helping us, he’s off to help FIS – he’s accepted a full-time offer from FIS to be a Programmer Analyst I, where he will be implementing online banking software to banks.

“FIS allows for employees to grow which I hope to in the future,” he said. “My major and degree will fit the role perfectly.”