By: Leo Boshardy
When College of DuPage Computer and Information Science student Tyler Lucas applied for a scholarship through the COD Foundation, he never imagined it would lead to an IT internship created just for him.
Lucas received the Vistex Scholarship and so impressed Vistex Vice President of General Counsel and Secretary Mark Baggio when they met during the annual Foundation Scholarship Celebration in 2023 that Vistex worked with the Foundation to fund an internship specifically for him.
“If Tyler is representative of all CIS students at COD, we definitely want more of them around here,” Baggio said. “He was full of energy, and I was very impressed with how professional he was.”
Vistex Enterprise Software helps businesses track their resources and identify areas of improvement through data-based feedback, and services offered include customer support personnel, training, advisory services and analytics. With 20 global Vistex offices, Lucas played an integral part in making sure that IT at its Hoffman Estates location ran smoothly. He was tasked with helping the head of IT on various projects related to in-house computers and software as well as helping to maintain the IT ticket support system at the office.
“A majority of my time was involved in helping other employees use the ticketing system,” he said. “Through that I learned quite a bit about common issues that people using the technology [at Vistex] faced, and also the art of improvisation to tackle more strange, rare problems.”
After completing the internship early in the summer of 2024, he moved on to work as a help desk technician at Glenbard School District #87. He is enrolled in the College’s CIS 3+1 program with Lewis University and plans to complete his Bachelor of Science.
The scholarship and the internship I received would have never been possible if I had not taken that initial chance on the Vistex scholarship that came my way.
Tyler Lucas
Lucas was inspired to pursue a CIS degree by his father, who relied on a general interest in technology to build computers at home.
“As I learned the knowledge that he had of computers, I quickly started to wonder how exactly the software aspect of computers worked,” Lucas said. “If I could figure out how software worked, then I could do so much more with this knowledge of computers I had gained.”
His passion for software and technology eventually inspired him to work on his own coding projects, including the creation of a modification for the popular video game Minecraft.
“The only problem was that I still did not get what I was doing, and my finished project was only finished because I followed a tutorial and copied everything almost one-to-one,” he said. “I knew I could do better, though. I knew that one day I could code on my own and do some truly great work.”
Learn More About the COD Foundation
Lucas enrolled at COD and has acquired skills and knowledge that will help him build a successful career. He also discovered opportunities beyond the classroom that, in his case, led to an unexpected and rewarding experience.“The scholarship and the internship I received would have never been possible if I had not taken that initial chance on the Vistex scholarship that came my way,” he said. “To future COD Foundation scholarship recipients, I would say always take chances and go for whatever opportunities come your way.”
The College of DuPage Foundation, established in 1967, provides for the educational development and welfare of the College and its students. Its mission is to obtain and steward philanthropic contributions to expand educational and cultural opportunities for the College of DuPage community.
Learn more about the Computer and Information Science program