Michigan Tech’s College of Computing is celebrating our more than 60 Huskies participating in Midyear Commencement on Saturday, Dec. 12. Whether our soon-to-be graduates found us through family trips to the Upper Peninsula, wanted to transfer to a place that felt like home, or sought a university known for excellence and rigor, each student arrived with their own set of prerequisites. As they prepare to take on the world beyond campus, we asked three of them to share what they learned, how they led, and what it means to be part of the Michigan Tech and College of Computing community.
From Campgrounds to Circuit Boards
For Paige Ludwig ’25, earning a BS Electrical Engineering Technology, Michigan Tech felt like home long before she enrolled.
“I started camping in the Upper Peninsula at six months old,” she said. “Ten years ago, I saw campus for the first time and fell in love with the area.”
A few years later, participating in Michigan Tech Summer Youth Programs helped Ludwig refine her interests before she’d even reached high school. “It was through their engineering program that I discovered my love for electrical and hands-on work,” she said.
Studying electrical engineering technology only deepened that passion. “I had a hands-on lab in a degree-specific course my freshman year—that was huge for me,” she said.
Ludwig further strengthened her technical experience during her time at Orbion Space Technology. “I worked a lot with LabVIEW, so having a minor in Data Acquisition and Industrial Control helped,” she said. “But there’s so much more to LabVIEW than you get in the classroom.”
With graduation approaching, Ludwig is already looking ahead, having accepted a position as an Electrical Engineer with Pettibone Traverse LLC in Baraga, Michigan.
Discovering His Place—and His Profession
When transfer student Chris Kloha ’25, earning his BS in Cybersecurity, was looking for the right place to continue his education, Michigan Tech stood out for its academic excellence.
“Michigan Tech is accredited by the NSA (National Security Agency) as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and Cyber Research,” Kloha said. “It seemed like the perfect place to study cybersecurity.”
He also valued MTU’s scale and setting. “I liked the small-town feel, the smaller class sizes, and the close-knit community. And as someone who enjoys the outdoors, MTU was the perfect place to be,” Kloha said.
Kloha flourished academically and personally after transferring. “I grew a lot as a person at Michigan Tech,” he said. His advice for future transfer students? “Make the transfer. Get involved, join clubs, try new things. You’ll meet great people, and it will help you feel part of the community quickly.”
After graduation, Chris will begin a full-time cybersecurity role with Dow in Midland, Michigan.
Leading Through Enterprise
For cybersecurity major Giovanni Bommarito ’25, who is earning his bachelor’s degree, Michigan Tech stood out immediately.
“MTU is perhaps the most efficient college I looked at,” Bommarito said. “A lot of what you get out of MTU is what you put in—it really promotes hard work and a career-oriented mindset.”
He also fell in love with the culture. “I love the cold and snow, and the student community is incredibly welcoming. Almost everyone I meet creates a positive experience,” he said.
Bommarito’s time in IT Oxygen Enterprise shaped him in unexpected ways. “Many of my most important skills were people skills,” he said. As a first-year student, Enterprise helped him learn to collaborate under real deadlines. Later, as president, he developed leadership, conflict resolution, and communication skills. “Those soft skills have been key to my success.”
After commencement, Giovanni will join ITC Holdings as an Associate Network Security Engineer—a role where both his technical training and leadership experience will serve him well.
You can access the full list of graduation candidates as well as the ceremony’s livestream link at Michigan Tech’s Commencement website.
Here’s to our Computing Huskies—all geared up for their next big project! We’re excited to see the problems you’ll solve and the systems you’ll shape.
About the College of Computing
The Michigan Tech College of Computing, established in 2019, is the first academic unit in Michigan dedicated solely to computing, and one of only a handful such academic units in the United States. The college is composed of two academic departments. The Computer Science department offers four bachelor of science programs in computer science, cybersecurity, data science, and software engineering; four master of science programs in applied computer science, computer science, cybersecurity, and data science; and a doctoral program in computer science. The Applied Computing department offers four bachelor of science programs in cybersecurity, electrical engineering technology, information technology, and mechatronics; two master of science programs in health informatics and mechatronics; and a doctoral program is in computational science and engineering.
Questions? Contact us at computing@mtu.edu. Follow the College of Computing on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.