Amanda Schroeder began her college career at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester in 2003. As a graduate of Salem High School, Schroeder headed straight to college in the fall. She went in to college just like any other recent high school graduate – with an idea of her interests but no real concept of what she wanted to do with her life.
“I knew I wanted to do something technical, but I didn’t know what, ” Schroeder said.
After two years of general studies and discovery courses, she discovered an interest in computers and declared a major in Computer Information Systems (CIS). Schroeder knew that she wanted to do something technical, and she liked the CIS program because it allowed her to take classes in a few areas instead of being tied down to one specific thing.
By her senior year, Schroeder had taken a number of computer courses and decided to apply for an internship to gain real world experience. She landed an internship as a web developer with Spaceflight Systems Corporation, where she worked about 15 hours a week on areas from web design to coding to IT help, and anything in between. The internship was crucial in helping Schroeder decide what she wanted to do with her future, while also allowing her to build her resume.
Since graduating from UNH Manchester, Schroeder has advanced her career through software engineering positions at Autodesk, Liberty Mutual, BAE Systems, Merchants Automotive Group and Symbiotic. She now works as a senior software test engineer at Ivenix, Inc., a medical technology manufacturer in North Andover, Mass.
Her advice to UNH Manchester students is to work hard, be confident in your abilities and seize all the opportunities you can.
“Don't get discouraged, take advantage of all of the opportunities out there and always be prepared," Schroeder said. "Be sure to research companies before you go on interviews and impress the interviewers with your knowledge and awareness.”
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This story has been updated from its original publishing in 2014.
