By: Shelby Hobbs
Thursday February 4, 2015

Mark Sterrenberg is a knowledgeable and personable Student Ambassador. His remarkable communication skills and strong work ethic make him an excellent leader. Mark graduates this April from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Information Technology. He is highly involved on FSU’s campus. Mark is a performer with the FSU Circus. He has been involved in the organization for three years and is currently a Hand Balancer. Mark is the Vice President of Social Media Market for Transfers Helping Transfers (THT). THT helps new transfer students at FSU connect with other students who have transferred. Mark is also involved with The Children’s Campaign. The Children’s Campaign is an industry partner with FITC. Mark works as a Resident Web Developer to maintain the organization’s two websites. In the summer of 2015, Mark decided to become a Student Ambassador to share his love of technology with the community and hone his leadership skills.

With FITC, Mark has worked a variety of events. He has helped college students develop a professional LinkedIn profile by hosting workshops with other Ambassadors. Mark would frequently represent FITC and table events, drawing in passersby’s to discuss the opportunities available in the technology workforce. He has also been involved at teaching students at local high schools about a variety of tech-related topics. His favorite experience was teaching students at the Florida Indian Youth Camp over the summer. At the camp, Ambassadors worked with students to design a website using basic coding skills and develop a video game. Mark described how a number of the students had never used a computer before, and others had never used code to produce anything. “Teaching them every step of the way really warmed my heart,” Mark described, “I was giving these kids something that would benefit them in the future.”

After graduation, Mark has impressive plans for the future. He has accepted a job with AT&T working as an Associates Application Developer in Dallas, Texas. He looks forward to spending some time with his friends at the beach in South Florida before the big move. Eventually Mark wants to contribute something meaningful to the IT field by working hard and learning as much as he can from his colleagues. He explained how he wants to be a mentor to future IT professionals “so that one day they can change the world like I plan to.”

To learn more about Mark, connect with him on LinkedIn.

FITC Student Ambassadors make up a team of dedicated and knowledgeable students both at FSU and FAMU. These students travel across the Florida Panhandle to promote information technology, computer science, and computer engineering to high schools. Ambassadors are responsible for activities such as running coding camps, assisting in technology clubs, or hosting college tours. For more information on FITC Ambassadors, visit the Ambassador page.

The Florida IT Career Alliance is an initiative funded by the Florida Board of Governors which aims to recruit, retain, and employ Florida's next generation technology workforce. FITC promotes information technology, computer science, and computer engineering to local high schools and college students across Florida. Connect with FITC on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.