Eli Arnold’s dashboard for success

What are the elements of success for IT student Eli Arnold? He’s still exploring what that means for him, and one of the gifts that WMU Haworth has given him is exactly that—the ability to investigate different types of technology and career paths.

The powerful combination of business and technology is what attracted Arnold to the Department of Business Information Systems.

“Business and technological skill sets complement each other, and we’re only seeing it more within IT fields and other industries as well,” says Arnold. “I enjoy programming and analytics, but I also like working on the business side of things to understand how we can use new technologies to improve business operations.”

Arnold got a glimpse into how a business uses technical tools when he interned at Comerica Bank. “My internship was an eye opener. The position allowed me to gain experience as an analyst, which tapped into my talent for interpreting trends.” Arnold was able to complete two projects from start to finish. The first project involved creating dynamic reports in Power BI. He built a dashboard from scratch with all of the necessary visuals to highlight key data at a glance. His other project focused on working with Power Automate to design an automated flow for data manipulation, eliminating the need to constantly refer to spreadsheets. Both projects helped him gain valuable professional experience that will set him apart with employers.

When Arnold first declared his computer information systems major, he was a bit overwhelmed with the different routes he could take with his degree. However, guest speaker events, along with workshops his department provided, helped him obtain his internship. “I will be forever thankful for the resources provided by my department.”

One of the important resources in Arnold’s college career has been the Business Analytics and Information Technology student organization. “The group has played a massive role in my development not only as a student, but from a professional standpoint as well,” he says. “Being a part of the club has allowed me to create many relationships that I will value for the rest of my life.”

For Arnold, his WMU Haworth experience has helped him visualize his future and optimize his career prospects. “I still find myself thinking about what area of IT intrigues me most. It’s important for me that I love what I do for a living, so college is the perfect opportunity to explore.” Hear more from Eli.