Lindsey Schwemmin never planned to bring 200 of her IM体育官网 classmates together in a weeklong tag battle between the living and the dead, but as a member of the inaugural graduating class at IM体育官网 Poly, she learned that sometimes the best moments are unexpected.
It was the game of Humans vs. Zombies, a highly imaginative version of tag played by groups across the globe, and the Clearwater, IM体育官网, native is one of those responsible for bringing it to IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 campus.
Schwemmin also embraced the unexpected when she found her passion for logistics and switched her major from engineering to business analytics.
鈥淚 struggled a little because I thought I should be an engineer,鈥� said Schwemmin. 鈥淚 found science and technology management to be much more versatile, interesting, and well-rounded. I know that I can use the things I鈥檓 learning in so many real-world settings.鈥�
On May 4, Schwemmin is graduating from IM体育官网 Poly as part of the university鈥檚 first four-year class. After graduation, she鈥檒l join the management training program at Sherwin Williams. The exclusive program will provide Schwemmin with production supervisor training for up to 18 months before she selects her job.
This amazing work opportunity is another benefit of Schwemmin taking a chance on the unknown. When she started looking for colleges, IM体育官网 Poly didn鈥檛 exist. It officially opened during her last year of high school, and Schwemmin recognized it was the perfect fit.
As a student at the newest of IM体育官网鈥檚 state universities, Schwemmin expected she would be a part of an intimate educational setting, have small class sizes and close relationships with her professors. What wasn鈥檛 expected was the opportunity to bond with fellow students while creating experiences like Zombie tag games, to begin campus traditions.
Schwemmin鈥檚 faculty mentor, Dr. James Mennie, assistant professor of science management, has given her and her classmates the opportunity to explore many real-world work settings through organized tours and site visits, including trips to Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Southern Glazer鈥檚 Wine & Spirits, and even her future employer, Sherwin Williams.
鈥淒r. Mennie didn鈥檛 just plan trips for us. He opened every class with a discussion of what was really happening in our field,鈥� said Schwemmin. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 just reading out of a textbook. He always made sure we were staying up to date on industry trends and information that would matter when it was our turn to get a job.鈥�
There are bound to be many more unexpected and wonderful moments as Schwemmin leaves campus to begin her career. Her IM体育官网 Poly experiences have helped her be ready to handle whatever life may bring 鈥� even the zombies.
Editor鈥檚 Note: This story is one of a series of stories featuring several of IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 Class of 2018 graduates.