Southwestern University Alumni Contribute to Central Texas’ Booming Tech Industry (2024)

If Austin is the “Silicon Hills” of the tech industry, then consider Georgetown as its front porch. On the northern edge of Central Texas’ booming tech industry, Southwestern University is equipping its students to emerge as the next generation of innovators and leaders.

Southwestern’s approach to a liberal arts education, wide array of majors and minors available, and prime geographic location just north of Austin provide students with the tools and resources necessary to break into the tech industry.

Michael Gebhardt ’16 is a GTM Strategy Consultant at Dell Technologies.As a GTM Strategy Consultant at Dell Technologies, Michael Gebhardt ’16 plays a pivotal role in optimizing the company’s sales structure and account alignments, ultimately ensuring that Dell customers are served most efficiently. He is part of a group of Dell’s go-to data analysts that serve as trusted advisors of the company’s sales team.

With Dell Technologies playing a major role in the development of artificial intelligence through its server technology, Gebhardt has a front-row seat to the rapid developments occurring in the AI space.

“A lot of AI startup companies are launching and receive massive funding from different venture capital groups,” he said. “Our team will help segment where those accounts should be placed so that our sales team can serve them most effectively. It’s such a hot topic and fast-paced environment. These companies are coming somewhat out of nowhere, so we want to make sure Dell is positioned in a way to help those companies by providing the solutions that they need to be successful. It’s pretty cool to be involved in.”

Across Dell’s expansive headquarters in Round Rock, Alyssa Gilbert ’21, serves as a software engineer for the company’s Vulnerability Strategy and Remediation team. She plays an integral role in supporting the official tool used throughout Dell Digital that guides users in the process of vulnerability remediation, working directly with customers to answer questions and make improvements to the platform.

Alyssa Gilbert ’21 is a Software Engineer 2 at Dell Technologies. Gilbert began her time at Southwestern as a mathematics major but quickly decided to add a computer science minor after a valuable experience in one of Associate Professor of Math & Computer Science Jacob Schrum’s coding courses.

“I really wasn’t thinking about any sort of software engineering or tech job,” Gilbert said. “When I took my first coding class at Southwestern, I thought, ‘wow, this is really cool.’ I had a great experience in the course and an amazing teacher in Dr. Schrum. He encouraged me to think about getting a minor in computer science because of the opportunities that it would allow after graduation. I’m very glad that I did because without that, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”

After graduation, Gilbert joined Dell’s IT Development Program (ITDP), an initiative designed for recent college graduates to gain a deep understanding of Dell’s work model. The program offers assimilation into the corporate world and exposure to Dell’s Culture Code, as well as the ability to refine skills, build networks, and expand technical proficiency.

“The ITDP program is definitely a great resource for recent graduates because you’re surrounded by a lot of people who are in your same position – just out of college and probably starting their first job,” Gilbert said. “It’s really great to have a network of people to talk to about your experiences.”

Like Gilbert, Gebhardt graduated from Southwestern with a mathematics major. Realizing the value of starting on the ground floor at a reputable company and working his way up, he added a business minor to his studies.

“I was looking at analytical and math related roles but with a lot of those, you either need a couple of years of experience or a master’s degree,” he said. “I knew I wanted to get my foot in the door, then move forward from there. So, I started off in sales. I learned a ton about how Dell works with customers, the different products that Dell sells, and the whole sales cycle. That led me to move into a data role supporting the sales organization.”

Emma McCandless ’23 is a Technical Program Management Intern at Cloudflare.In the heart of downtown Austin, Emma McCandless ’23 proves that you don’t need a business, computer science, or mathematics degree to find success in the tech industry. The psychology major began her professional career in March as a Technical Program Management Intern at Cloudflare, one of the leading providers of network and security products.

As part of the San Francisco-based company’s IT planning and governance program management office, McCandless works behind the scenes to assist with Cloudflare’s human resources objectives, standard operating procedure development, and software implementation. She helps the company employ a standard and unified approach that will ultimately aid in employee success.

“What I’ve experienced so far is that while it helps to have high computer and technical knowledge, what I learned in the psychology program about how people interact has been so helpful,” she said. “A lot of the job is bringing people together. We have cross-functional teams of different employees across IT and finance. We help the business side run more smoothly so that Cloudflare employees can help out the customer more efficiently in the long run.”

These skills have been instrumental for McCandless, who interacts with fellow Cloudflare employees from around the country and around the world on a daily basis. Similarly, back at Dell, Gilbert’s team consists of employees around the United States, as well as in Brazil, Malaysia, and India. She leans on skills learned at Southwestern to navigate the increasingly global tech landscape.

“Learning how to problem solve, how to work with people from all over the world, how to ask for help when I need it, and how to think critically about what I need to do in my role to solve problems are all things that I was taught through my classes at Southwestern that have really helped me at Dell,” Gilbert said.

“SU is in a perfect spot near Austin and all of the big tech companies that are moving here. It is just in a perfect location.” - Emma McCandless ’23

Looking back to their time at SU, all three young alumni point to elements of Southwestern’s Paideia philosophy as a contributing factor to their current professional success.

“What’s cool about the liberal arts experience is that you get to take so many different types of classes,” McCandless said. “I would recommend taking at least an intro to computer science or a similar course to introduce yourself to tech or science, even if you don’t want to get a computer science degree.”

Approaching his eight-year anniversary with Dell Technologies, Gebhardt offers similar advice to students looking to break into the tech industry.

“Don’t be afraid to jump into situations that you may or may not be interested in or comfortable with,” Gebhardt said. “Maybe you’ll enjoy some of the things that you may not think you would. But even if you don’t, you’ll take a lot of learning from those opportunities.”

In addition to the liberal arts education that she received at Southwestern, Gilbert also praises SU’s small class sizes and opportunities to connect individually with professors.

“I think it’s really important to have relationships with your professors because they can give you great advice about job opportunities and internships, and about how to move forward into the workforce,” Gilbert said. “When you go into your first role, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Even if you think it may be a silly question, a lot of times, other people have the same question but they’re afraid to ask.”

“Learning how to problem solve, how to work with people from all over the world, how to ask for help when I need it, and how to think critically about what I need to do in my role to solve problems are all things that I was taught through my classes at Southwestern that have really helped me at Dell.” Alyssa Gilbert ’21

With companies such as Cloudflare, Dell Technologies, Intel, Meta, Oracle, Samsung, and Tesla right in Southwestern’s backyard, students can see first-hand the rapidly evolving tech landscape in Central Texas. A native of Austin, McCandless has witnessed just how much the tech industry has emerged in her hometown.

“A driving motivator for me to get into tech was how much the industry is booming here,” she said. “There’s just so much opportunity here. I feel like SU is in a perfect spot near Austin and all of the big tech companies that are moving here. It is just in a perfect location.”

Gebhardt initially came to Georgetown from his hometown of San Antonio to attend Southwestern but decided to plant his roots here permanently.

“I moved to Georgetown and haven’t left yet,” Gebhardt said. “I want this to be my home moving forward. If other students find that same joy in this Georgetown community, they will have a whole plethora of options in Round Rock and Austin to choose from, job-wise. I think that’s a pretty cool opportunity.”