Marist/IBM Joint Study Trailblazers Take on GSE UK
Amanda Potenza and Evan Spillane represented the program at the annual mainframe conference
The topic of finding and nurturing new talent is likely to come up at any large gathering of IT professionals, and last November’s Guide Share Europe (GSE) UK conference was no exception. But this time, conference attendees got to hear directly from representatives of the talent pool they are trying to reach.
As part of the Marist/IBM Joint Study program, two students had the unique opportunity of presenting at the conference in Towcester, United Kingdom, laying the foundation for other Joint Study students to present at the gathering in the future. In their presentation, “Recruiting the Next Generation: Insights From Tomorrow’s Talent,” Evan Spillane and Amanda Potenza spoke to over 600 attendees about their experiences within the Joint Study program, how to close the skills gap and their perspectives on the industry as Gen Z talent.
Building Intergenerational Connections
In their presentation, Potenza and Spillane highlighted the industry’s need to connect with younger audiences and educate them on the landscape of mainframe computing as a key component of closing the skills gap, a message that resonated with many of the conference’s attendees.
For her work, Potenza won the conference’s “Best New Presenter” award. “It was super, super cool to get to meet people from around the world who share this common interest of mainframes,” Potenza said. “You can tell how passionate each person really is about what they do.”
Along with their presentation, Spillane and Potenza had the chance to attend keynote speeches and learn from experienced mainframe professionals while networking with other students and attendees from around the world.
“Getting to go around to the vendors and meet them all presented really cool opportunities just to expand our knowledge about the subject,” Spillane said. “But just in general, increasing your network, especially globally, is super-duper valuable.”
Journeys to the Mainframe
Both students were introduced to the computer science world at a young age. Potenza’s father was an engineer, and he passed that technical mindset onto his daughter. Although the Mahwah, New Jersey, native arrived at Marist’s campus in Poughkeepsie, New York, undecided on her major, she knew she wanted to do something technical, eventually delving deep into the world of coding and computer science.
While applying for internships last year, she was drawn to Integrated Cryptographic Services Facilities (ICSF), focusing on providing rapid cryptographic services within z/OS systems, and she has been a part of the Joint Study program since May 2024.
“It was really just a matter of what I found interesting and what I felt would seem challenging in a good way,” Potenza said. “That’s a rewarding part of computer science, finding challenges and facing them even if they are difficult.”
Spillane’s interest in computer science was born out of his love for video games, something the Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, native has remained involved with on campus as the president of Marist eSports. Recognizing the school’s strong connections with IBM and other tech companies, Spillane chose Marist to continue his computer science journey.
He also had an interest in physics through his mother, so when he got the chance to study quantum computing and cybersecurity through the Joint Study program beginning in the summer of 2023, he jumped at the opportunity and hasn’t looked back.
“It’s been great working in the quantum field,” Spillane said. “I’ve gotten to…meet a lot of really cool and interesting researchers who are at the forefront of this really important new technology.”
Joint Study Connects Pupils With the Pros
For 40 years, the Marist/IBM Joint Study program has given students like Spillane and Potenza the chance to work and research with Marist faculty who are experts in their IBM subject matter areas. Not only that, but they also get access to special out-of-classroom learning experiences, like presenting at GSE UK.
“We’re very proud of the relationship and being able to provide such great opportunities for the students,” said Joint Study Program Director Christy Schroeder. “It benefits Marist, IBM, the students. It’s really a wonderful program.”
Schroeder raved about the two students’ work ethics and how well they represented the program on an international stage. She hopes that this experience will set the groundwork for future out-of-classroom learning opportunities for students in the future.
“They were absolutely fabulous representatives for the IBM/Marist Joint Study program, for Marist, for IBM,” Schroeder said. “To see them blossom and grow and mature and become really phenomenal early professionals now going off into their job is so rewarding.”
After graduating this spring, Potenza will continue her work in ICSF full-time, staying in Poughkeepsie to work for IBM. Spillane, also graduating this spring, is weighing his options between attending graduate school to get his doctorate or immediately going into the workforce.