Leveraging Intern Experience

Jordan Yatckoske ’20, Hanover, Minn.
Major/Minors: Computer Science; Business and Music

Yatckoske is majoring in computer science with minors in business and music. He says he enjoys all aspects of his studies as he has the opportunity to pursue everything he is interested in.

“I was originally a music major, but I changed to computer science the next year not because I didn’t like music but because I want to explore everything that interests me,” he says. 

Yatckoske finds all this possible at Concordia. He says he was drawn to Concordia so much that he toured three different times and loved it more each time.

“I really like the community Concordia has, especially with such a small campus,” he says. “I find it really easy to be a part of a community where you aren’t limited to one group.”

It was in the spring semester of his sophomore year when he started looking for internships to grow his skills in computer science. He found one that interested him at Stoneridge Software, a Microsoft partner based in Barnesville, Minn. At Stoneridge, he works in a subsidiary called Levridge, which focuses mainly on the agriculture business and meeting the technological needs of those in that field.

At Levridge, Yatckoske assists with technical designs, including things like writing tests, test scripts, and design documentation. He works with eight to 10 people in the Barnesville office. He started in May and worked 40+ hours in the summer from either the Barnesville location or from home.

“I liked this internship because it taught me new things like having real work experience and a different perspective than in my classes,” he says.

He has continued his internship through the academic year, working when he can around his classes and extracurricular activities. Although this internship focuses on design, he said his day never looks the same so he is always learning with the team.

“The team I work with is very intelligent and they guide you through difficult tasks and help you succeed because then the entire team succeeds,” he says. “We all feed off of each other.”

He says the internship has helped him gain valuable experience and he hopes to narrow down what he wants to do in the future by the end of this year. He believes that every student should participate in an internship because you can learn more about yourself and what interests you in that field.

“I recommend an internship to everyone because it will show you what you like about a particular field and also what you might not like, which will help you make smart choices for future careers,” he says.

^{Published March 2019}