Whether dancing or coding, student makes his move

Having learned the moves in Clark University’s Hip Hop Collabo dance group, Jesús Robles Garcia ’19 has found success on another stage: software engineering.

A double-major in computer science and economics with a minor in management, Garcia recently completed an internship at State Street, and accepted a job as an application developer/senior associate at the Boston-based financial services and bank holding company. He plans to return to State Street full time after he graduates from Clark next May.

In his internship last summer, Garcia learned about data visualization as well as how to work in an Agile environment, a team-based approach and methodology used throughout the software industry.

At Clark, Garcia is a member of a different agile team: Hip Hop Collabo. He joined the dance team to showcase and improve his skills, after having perfected several choreographed routines in the video game Just Dance.

“Dance has always been an outlet for me to express myself and de-stress from schoolwork,” he says. “Hip Hop Collabo has helped me grow a lot as a dancer, pushing me to learn various styles of choreography and to be part of a mini-family of passionate dancers. We all strive to help each other improve, and we look out for each other in many ways.”

The connections he’s made in Hip Hop Collabo and elsewhere on campus have boosted his confidence, Garcia says, and led to his success at State Street. He’s likewise gained career-ready skills in troubleshooting, communication, and customer service by working as a help desk technician for Clark’s Information Technology Services (ITS) since his sophomore year.

Originally from Swampscott, Massachusetts, Garcia has wanted to work in technology since he was a child. “As I took more computer science classes, my interest in computer science grew,” he says “and I always work hard to try to expand my knowledge.”

In September, he learned even more about the computing industry by traveling to Orlando, Florida, to attend the Tapia 2018 conference, an educational and networking event that draws hundreds of students, faculty, and computing professionals from various ethnicities and backgrounds.

“I’ve been grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given because there aren’t many Hispanics who make it into the field, and I’m happy that I can help make contributions in computer science and IT,” Garcia says. “I also think it’s important to get others involved in the field because the more diverse it is, the better.”