Four students that are involved in Women in IT/ICT Sharing Experiences (WISE) recently attended the Jacksonville Information Technology Council (JITC) Tech Coast Conference. 

Arianna Nicolas, Josephine St. Hilaire, Maggie Martin-McKinnie, and Jennifer Sterling spent their Thursday in Jacksonville at the University of North Florida forming professional connections, gaining insight, and listening to engaging speakers with innovators, IT professionals, and other important figures. 

“The Tech Coast Conference gave me a greater insight into how technology is rapidly improving,” says STARS president Maggie Martin-McKinnie. “That, in turn, gave me a little more direction on what I might want to focus on in my professional career.” 

When CCI asked IT junior Arianna Nicolas about how the JITC Tech Coast Conference was different from other conferences, she replied, “There were a lot of different opportunities for different people, and while everything was technology, I truly appreciate how it was all sectors of technology.”

“I chose to attend the JITC Tech Coast Conference because I continue to search for new ways to further my technological experiences and knowledge,” says IT senior Josephine St. Hilaire. “I also find it is imperative to surround yourself with like minded individuals, and this experience was the perfect way to accomplish this.”

WISE president and IT junior Jennifer Sterling shared, “Take any chance you can at networking. Whether it be locally or a city nearby, expanding your network is always incredibly important!”