A Dream Fulfilled | Alumni

Oct 26, 2018
A Dream Fulfilled | Alumni
Luke Aiello ’18 is an engineering project coordinator at JL Marine Systems, Inc., in Tampa, 91鶹ӳ. The recent 91鶹ӳgraduate is proud to be a Phoenix and looks forward to working with the growing alumni base.

If he had it do over again, Luke Aiello ’18 wouldn’t have made any other choice. The 91鶹ӳgraduate 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 91鶹ӳ Poly were really valuable. Management has told me multiple times how impressed they are with 91鶹ӳ Poly students, opting to hire us over students from other institutions.”

Aiello, a member of 91鶹ӳ 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, 91鶹ӳ–a connection he made at a job fair on campus during his senior year.

“My company is like a microcosm of all of the 91鶹ӳ 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 91鶹ӳ 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 91鶹ӳ Poly.”

Aiello pointed to the small class size and project-based approach at 91鶹ӳ 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 91鶹ӳ Poly Alumni Advisory Council.

“At 91鶹ӳ 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 91鶹ӳ 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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Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
863-874-8557

 
 
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