If he had it do over again, Luke Aiello ’18 wouldn’t have made any other choice. The Florida Polytechnic University graduate speaks glowingly of his four years at the University and how well it positioned him for the workforce.
“I was surprised at how prepared I felt when I started my job,” said Aiello. “I’ve heard that from other alumni, as well, that we felt surprisingly prepared. The skill sets we learned at Florida Poly were really valuable. Management has told me multiple times how impressed they are with Florida Poly students, opting to hire us over students from other institutions.”
Aiello, a member of Florida Poly’s inaugural class, graduated in May 2018 with a bachelor’s in science and technology management. Shortly thereafter, he began working as an engineering project coordinator at JL Marine Systems, Inc., in Tampa, Florida–a connection he made at a job fair on campus during his senior year.
“My company is like a microcosm of all of the Florida Poly disciplines. I’m working on teams with mechanical and electrical engineers as well as those in firmware, software, logistics, and production,” he said. “Pretty much every major at Florida Poly is represented there, and I get to interact with them on a daily basis. The way they think and solve problems is very natural to me because I’ve had so much experience working with similar minds at Florida Poly.”
Aiello pointed to the small class size and project-based approach at Florida Poly as keys to his success. He said it was important to be able to work with state-of-the-art equipment and take part in interdisciplinary projects from the moment he started as a freshman instead of waiting until his junior and senior year like at other institutions. He was also thankful for his time involved in clubs such as University Church, a student-run club on campus that gave him the opportunity to grow a positive, welcoming community on campus.
Aiello’s connection to his alma mater is far from over. He was recently named the chair of the Florida Poly Alumni Advisory Council.
“At Florida Poly, you’re not just a number,” he said. “I feel like you matter as a student. That was the dream I had when I came to Florida Poly, and I feel like I walked away with that. Every one of my professors knew my name, which is something that can’t be said at a lot of other universities.”
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