July 17, 2020

Jacob Sokora

Name
Jacob Sokora

Hometown
St. Louis, MO

Why did you choose to attend Mizzou for the IT program?
I originally came to Mizzou for CS, and switched to IT once I realized it was a more practical program for me. I also chose Mizzou because it was close to home, but not too close.

Tell us about your educational experiences.
I focused on software development, and really enjoyed a lot of the courses taught by [Associate Teaching Professor] Dale Musser. I actually credit his iOS development courses for setting me on the path that eventually led to my job. 

Where will you work after graduation? How did the IT program prepare you?
I’m starting a job at Apple. I think the practical nature of the IT program, working on real projects and building actual software development skills gave me the skills I needed to actually do my work rather than just the skills to do well in an interview.

Did you have an internship or other opportunities during your time at Mizzou?
I had an internship at Citi in Dallas the summer before my senior year. I worked as an iOS developer on their authentication security team. It was a great experience getting to work at a large company and see how that functions, and there were a good number of Mizzou alumni there.

Would you recommend the IT program and if so, what would you tell prospective students about the program?
I would absolutely recommend the program if you want to be a software engineer. Take the different courses to find out what kinds of platforms you like to develop for (iOS, Android, web), just make sure you study up on data structures and algorithms for your eventual interviews.