Graduate Success

Web Developer                                  
Garrett Massey 

''I work as the main programmer and web designer in the Early Childhood Services Centre at UNM. My regular work involves a combination of programming, web design, UX design, and content editing on all of our websites and applications. My background in computer science gave me the
foundation for programming, and my studies of web design in the TC program gave me the skills I use every day in building and  maintaining our websites and applications.

It is my job to make sure that our websites are up to date with accessibility standards, usable on a variety of devices and accessible to people across multiple languages. I also provide technical and managment support to other programmes, guiding the direction of programming projects and updates
to our systems.''

Technical Writer/ Editor                          Abbey Chesebrough, Raytheon 

''My job responsibilities include compiling, formatting writing, and editing technical documentation,
including user manuals, proposals, and other
contract deliverables. I was also a data manager, which required monitoring the status of all contract
deliverables,submitting deliverables to the customer(s), and managing feedback received on the deliverable. I got to travel a little bit, work with some interesting people, and even operated some of the equipment in the process of writing operations and maintenance manuals for the final product.''

Communications Specialist                    Paula Le June, Presbyterian 

''As a communications specialist, I edit and write documents for members. This includes materials for commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid plan members.
My team ensures that member materials are written in
accordance with health literacy standards and best 
practices while also making sure that communications adhere to the style and branding requirements determined by the organization and federal government.The purpose
of my job is to make sure that plan members get and understand the information they need to make health care
decisions appropriate for their level of health plan benefits.''

Technical Writer                                          Keegan Livoti 

"There's a lot of joy in learning something and then sharing it with someone else."

Keegan is a tech writer for a data analytics company and a 2018 alumnus. The Society for Technical
Communication played a significant role in his
TC journey, and he notes both the fun of participating in the NMT chapter and the valuable
experiences of attending the STC conferences as
high points of his time at Tech. Keegan’s
appreciation for the importance of interpersonal
skills to success in the TC industry and how such
experiences helped shape these skills is a
testament to the value of community to the TC program. The advantage to his career of having
a technical focus in his repertoire is also
apparent to Keegan. Overall, the TC program
provided him with the tools he needed to
excel at the work he enjoys.

Systems Engineer                                        Marqui Jungling 

''I use what i learned in the TC degree [program] a lot''
Marqui is a 2018 alumnus working for sandia National labs as a systems engineer.Though her current work is not specific to the field of TC, she emphasizes the unique opportunities presented by having TC expertise. TC skills like an eye for documentation design and refined writing proficiency allow her to fill important needs and stand out among her engineering peers. Experiences such as collaborating on her thesis and studying visual communication helped prepare for work in and outside the confines of TC. She counts the variety of specialization areas and flexibility of work in the TC program among the reasons why undecided or incoming students should consider pursuing TC.

Documentation Specialist                       Ali Lenox  

''You can really get to know your professors. I made great friends with my peers.''
Ali is a documentation specialist at NRAO. She graduated from NMT's TC program in 2019 after switching between multiple majors. She cites the appeal of the program to her creative personality as an important reason for eventually settling on TC. For Ali, community was an important aspect of the program. Developing friendships with her peers allowed her to reap the full benefits of colllaboration on projects and develop the sort of cooperative skills that would directly carry over to the workforce. The help she received from both classmates and instructors led to her creation of standard operating procedure documentation for the Puerto Seguro homeless shelter. She credits this project not only with helping her develop critical skills but also enhancing her resume at
the outset of her career. 

Copywriter                                                    Jade Baca 

''Technical Communication is really unique. The TC program... covers so much.''

Jade graduated from the TC program in 2020 and first worked for Hobby Lobby as a copywriter. She then became a proposal writer at MetroStar. Currently
she is working at the HydroGeologic as a communications specialist II. Community was a very important part of her TC journey. Jade was the President of NMT's Society for Technical Communication chapter and made fond memories, fundraising, mingling at chapter meetings and attending the STC summit. The program's hands-on nature, the availability of help from faculty, and thetight-knit group of peers made Jade's time at Tech equally valuable and memorable. 

User experience researcher                     Rachel 

“New Mexico Tech [TC program] is worth it because of the real-world application…
professors push you to apply what you've
learned under real-world scenarios instead
of carefully controlled class scenarios.”

Rachel completed the TC program in 2015 and now works on user experience research for the library
of Texas Tech. She recalls her TC experience
with fondness for the program’s distinctly enjoyable
flavor of productivity and a respect for how the
program equipped her for the workforce. These
sentiments are evident in her stories about
TC at NMT -- from spending a late night with friends working on theses in the writing center with a
blanket fort and snacks to getting her senior
project published in Technical Communication,
a flagship industry journal. Rachel benefitted from the hands-on practicality of the TC program’s many
projects that are often completed to solve real
problems for real clients. She also attributes the
success of her publication while still an undergraduate in part to the TC faculty pushing her to explore the full potential of her work.