David Nassau had a full-time job waiting for him after graduating this Summer, and he says he owes it to UF’s Innovation Academy.
“I earned it by gaining experience that IA offers and taking advantage of my Fall semesters,” the 22-year-old said.
Nassau, who graduated with business and marketing bachelor’s degrees, was one of 59 students who completed a minor in innovation this Summer. He was part of the first class of students in the four-year program.
Jeff Citty, the director of the program, said IA had 28 students graduate with the minor in Spring while the majority finished in August.
Students accepted into the program follow a specific curriculum during Spring and Summer semesters, leaving Fall open for internships, research or online classes, Citty said.
Citty said the program has expanded to include more staff and a reformed curriculum.
Being a part of IA makes students more marketable and gives them a competitive edge, he said.
“Regardless of major,” Citty said, “it enhances their skill set for where they’re going, whether that’s graduate school, their own start-up business or working for someone else.”
Rey Pierre, 22, said he saw an opportunity to leave his mark at UF by being a part of the program’s first class.
“The inaugural class got a blank check of sorts,” he said. “We got to make it what we wanted.”
He said opportunities for internships were possible partly because of IA, but mostly because he worked for them.
By being a part of the program, the UF information systems senior said IA taught him to not be afraid to try something new.
“People that want to be trailblazers and leave their mark still have a great opportunity to do so,” he said. “The opportunity is there if you take it.”
Nassau, who’s moving to California to work for Intel Corp., a technology corporation, said having a minor that is exclusive to a limited amount students in each graduating class is a good thing, especially in a competitive environment.
“It makes you that much more interesting, too,” he said.
