Hannah Bonitz, a senior from Cheshire, CT is wrapping up her final year of college with a busy schedule before she enters the workforce. As an MIS major since her freshman year, Bonitz has grown into one of the department’s outstanding students, receiving the Treibeck Family Electronic Commerce Initiative Fund Scholarship her junior year and participating in two case competitions, all while managing her honors student status. As a senior honors student Bonitz has to create a senior thesis. This thesis is a full year project that includes a research paper as well as developing a prototype or proof of concept. “My project is on using analytics and technology to globally combat modern slavery. I’m planning on developing a proof of concept by making a website that displays all of my research on human trafficking as a problem, and providing technology solutions around data management to combat it.” This project is a glowing testament to her character and intellect, but Bonitz was sure to take on more responsibilities for her last year at UConn.
Bonitz holds three on campus jobs at the School of Business, two in the Management Department and one in the OPIM Department. In the Management Department Bonitz acts as an Administrative Assistant and the Social Media Coordinator for the Group and Organization Management Journal. In these roles she has acted as the communications liaison on all of the social media platforms and performed important desk utilities such as managing the financial transaction records, collecting data on the Innovation Quest program, and using Microsoft Office. In the OPIM Department Bonitz works as a Lab aid in the OPIM Innovate Lab. Here she is working on developing the analytics technology track. In addition to working, Bonitz stays involved on campus through the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life as the Vice President of her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi.
Even with all of these responsibilities, Bonitz has made sure that she dedicated time during the school year to apply for summer internships to further her professional career and explore possible career paths. For the past three summers Bonitz has interned at Travelers Insurance, each time working under a different manager in a different Line of Business. “I absolutely loved each of my experiences. They each provided a new perspective and expanded my knowledge base regarding IT in general, specific technologies, and different project management methodologies and approaches. I was given the autonomy to drive my own research efforts in conjunction with participating in a terrific intern experience program that offered broad learning opportunities and a culminating summer-long intern group project.” With all of this experience it is no surprise that Bonitz was given a full-time offer from Travelers, this time in the three year IT Leadership Development Program. “It definitely is my dream job! I am so excited to officially begin working full-time at the company I have interned with over the course of three summers. I look forward to expanding my depth of skill in different technologies, developing my skills as a leader, and understanding the business of property casualty insurance as a whole.”
With all of this success, Bonitz credits the OPIM Department for providing ample opportunities for knowledge and growth. “I am fascinated by the intersection of business and technology, as without either one, businesses and institutions simply cannot function. MIS provides the opportunity to explore this intersection.” With an MIS major Bonitz was able to explore the facets of IT that piqued her interest, learn general business codes of conduct, and access many academic and extra curricular resources. “One of the highlights of my college career would definitely be the independent study I had the opportunity to participate in titled Business Case Competitions. I learned how to develop effective presentations and carry myself confidently when presenting; I then leveraged these newfound skills at the CoMIS Case Competition at the University of Minnesota, and it was a surreal and worthwhile experience to see how far myself and my fellow teammates had come in our development!”
As Bonitz prepares for her final semester as an undergraduate here at UConn, she leaves with some parting words for her fellow MIS students. “Get involved as early as you can! The department provides incredible learning opportunities via workshops and written materials if you are just willing to explore when a topic piques your interest. I would also generally say that if you have a passion or even an interest in a technology topic, pursue it and stay curious. Curiosity and a passion to explore will not only keep you motivated and engaged but also serve you well in MIS – a field where trends are constantly changing and new technologies are consistently blossoming!”