Critical Connections
Computer science major Mackenzie Dolishny ŮٱƵ20 had no coding experience when she first came to Pace. She worked hard to catch up, landing internships at the likes of IBM and American Express, and even a full-time job at Microsoft.
Mackenzie Dolishny ŮٱƵ20 is passionate about facilitating connections between people. ItŮٱƵs why, she said, she decided to pursue a career in the STEM field despite having no coding experience when she applied to colleges. ŮٱƵIn the beginning of my first programming class at Pace, I did not do well on the first few assignments,ŮٱƵ she told us. ŮٱƵI wallowed in self-pity for a few days and then put my head in the books. I spent countless hours reading the textbook, developing different projects, and doing challenges on HackerRank.ŮٱƵ
She not only learned how to code, but she worked her way up to the top of her classŮٱƵwith a 3.99 GPA, no less. Talk about serious dedication. ŮٱƵMy advice to incoming students would be not to confuse movement with progress,ŮٱƵ Dolishny said. ŮٱƵMany times, we complete assignments and finish tests with good grades. However, I challenge every student to ask themselves: are you actually learning? Are you actually improving?ŮٱƵ
In an effort to improve and hone her skills, Dolishny added a mathematics minor to her busy schedule, as she says, ŮٱƵcomputer science is heavily rooted in calculus and probability.ŮٱƵ She even included an economics minor! ŮٱƵ[It] has broadened my education beyond engineering and math and has made me a more well-rounded individual.ŮٱƵ
ŮٱƵThis big picture thinking completely redefined the goals I have for myself and redefined the way I perceive the world around me.ŮٱƵ
It really comes as no surprise, then, that DolishnyŮٱƵs drive attracted the attention of a Seidenberg professor who offered her a position as lead developer on the ŮٱƵ Multi-School Environmental Sensors Project. ŮٱƵAn opportunity like [that] wonŮٱƵt find you in a classroom of 400 students in a big lecture hall,ŮٱƵ she explained. ŮٱƵWorking on this project as lead developer helped me attain interviews and internships further down the line that completely changed my career path. If I hadnŮٱƵt gone to Pace, I would not have been as successful as I was.ŮٱƵ
Since then, DolishnyŮٱƵs internships have been numerous: data analyst at Seidenberg, application development at IBM, software engineering at American Express, and most recently, a full-time position in software engineering at Microsoft in Seattle come Fall 2020. But like all exceptionally successful people, Dolishny initially struggled with imposter syndrome. ŮٱƵIn the beginning of my internship [at IBM], I was worried that I didnŮٱƵt know enough to be working for such a great company and I was nervous that I wouldnŮٱƵt do well,ŮٱƵ she told us. ŮٱƵI realized during that internship that so many of the skills we use at work, we learn on the job. This gave me more confidence and that confidence carried into future internships.ŮٱƵ
Dolishny is also a Grace Hopper Scholar, having been selected to participate in the Challenge Based Innovation Project, which allowed her to study abroad. ŮٱƵI had the opportunity to work with renowned physicists at CERN in Switzerland, which is home to the worldŮٱƵs largest science experiment, the Large Hadron Collider,ŮٱƵ Dolishny explained. ŮٱƵThis big picture thinking completely redefined the goals I have for myself and redefined the way I perceive the world around me.ŮٱƵ
That level of knowledge and experience has opened doors for her even beyond Pace. In her sophomore year, Dolishny was asked to guest lecture a graduate class at NYU on big data and non-relational databases. ŮٱƵI felt so honored to be teaching such intelligent and brilliant students. It made me realize that one of my greatest passions is giving back and teaching others,ŮٱƵ she told us.
As Dolishny climbs to even greater heights in her career, sheŮٱƵs also reaching for the sky in other ways, too. Did you know she parasails? ŮٱƵI parasail frequently with my family on summer vacation,ŮٱƵ she said, in addition to playing basketball, softball, volleyball, dodgeball, and a variety of other sports, including skiing and snowboarding in the winter months. ŮٱƵI love to stay active and play sports in my free time,ŮٱƵ Dolishny explained.