Lois Montgomery graduated from Geneva in December of 2019 with a B.S. in Computer Science and minors in cybersecurity and mathematics.
Montgomery was highly involved on campus during her time here, participating in the First Year Honors Program and in the Academic Partners Program her senior year. She also worked for the Cabinet, the college newspaper, and was a member of the Genevans. On top of extra-curricular activities and academic work, she also got married her junior year, so added in balancing marriage and commuting to her schedule her senior year.
Since graduating four and a half years ago, Montgomery has had great success in her field.
I entered the workforce incredibly prepared from a hands-on, technical perspective. My peers did not have the same hands-on experiences as I did from my time at Geneva. I knew how to handle different operating systems, solve problems, cybersecurity situations, and had a strong foundational understanding of how computers work and how to program them.
Montgomery entered the workforce with a wide range of skills. In addition to a breadth of technical skills, she talks about a lot of additional benefits of a Geneva education.
“I also graduated knowing how to communicate well and work with others because Geneva is a liberal arts college. So many people enter the workforce with this degree lacking the other skills to work well with others. So much of computer science is not just the technical skill, but the communication skills and social acumen. Educationally, Geneva prepared me really well for this work.”
Montgomery’s success and skills are demonstrated by her success in the field. In January of 2020, immediately after graduating, she participated in an IT rotational program at Highmark where she was able to work on different teams to figure out what part of the field she wanted to work in. She ended up liking a completely different area of work than she originally anticipated. From there she landed a job, and since then, has continued to move up quickly in her field. She most recently was promoted to Vigilance Proactive Services Consultant at SentinelOne.
In addition to her career advancement, Montgomery has also been interviewed by World Magazine discussing artificial intelligence and how Christians ought to respond to it. This was published in both print and podcast form.
Part of Montgomery’s motivation for pressing into these cultural issues and thinking about the interaction between technology and Christianity stems from her Geneva experience. Montgomery reflects on one of her pivotal experiences as a student here during her academic honors project.
Montgomery was the only computer science student in the cohort, and the reading was on Wendell Berry, discussing Christians interacting with technology. Part of the program is writing responses and papers each week, and this reading in particular she disagreed with. Her response paper that week used resources and materials she had studied previously in a book study with Dr. Richards.
“I got a 2-page essay response from Dr. Miller talking through his perspective and how a tension exists. Even though he disagreed, I still got a good grade. But more than the grade, he took the time to write a 2-page response and it led to a great continuing conversation. That is really unique to Geneva. I gave him a book and he read it. That is why Geneva is the school that it is. As a student, you can engage with professors in an authentic and challenging way, and explore a more balanced view in these academic conversations we are having.”
To this day, Montgomery has kept these papers from the academic partners program.
“I will probably never get rid of them because of how formative they were for me. It reminds me to keep asking questions and how our Christian walk has to inform everything else we do.”
These influential interactions with faculty are often cited by Geneva graduates as the moments that stick with them. The ability to converse, challenge, grow, and really get to know faculty is a key part of the Geneva experience.
“The professors in the Computer Science Department were a significant part of my experience Dr. Richards and Prof. Poteete took the time to give us textbook-level knowledge, but also taught us how to network, build resumes, get internships, and all of these other things.”
Montgomery also cites that these relationships and support do not end at graduation. She has come back to campus to talk to the freshman computer science class and connect with the current students. These professors have also continued to pour into Montgomery’s life.
“Dr. Richards will be a lifelong mentor for me. I email or call him any time I get a new job. There is a community that goes beyond our four years. The professors really commit to you for the rest of your life. I still feel that if I need my resume reviewed or would need to get career advice, I have the contacts at Geneva that would make the time.”
With technical knowledge, communication skills, and a strong community, Montgomery has been able to pursue her life’s calling in the field of computer science.
-Kelsey Ingold '18
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