Each year, we celebrate Wilmington University students at commencement — for their hard work, their sacrifices, and their fierce passion for futures filled with possibility and promise.
And we continue to celebrate them long after, as they move along the path their goals take them. Four College of Technology students, who have found successful futures following their academic careers at WilmU, are examples of what hard work and determination can bring.
Matthew Doyle
For Matthew Doyle, who graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Spring 2023 after taking his last class, choosing a major in Video and Motion Graphics was a logical choice. He makes it clear video production is his passion, to the point of returning to school in his 30s to accomplish his goal of moving into that field. But to do this, he left a different career path behind.
“When I first went to college in 2000, I went to a maritime academy in Massachusetts, and learned to operate boats,” Doyle says. His connection with his father’s business in a health safety consulting company led to involvement operating boats in oil spill clean-up in various places around the world
“I was getting into all these oil spills,” he notes. “They just kept popping up, everywhere I went. And it was lucrative, so I kept doing it.” This included clean-up of the BP Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, which created the biggest marine oil spill in history. At first, he worked as a boat operator, but quickly was promoted to a manager, helping with the operations side as a contractor for BP, assigning people where they needed to be, he says.
Doyle worked that particular incident for seven months, but worked in the industry for a total of 15 years, traveling and teaching BP terminal personnel how to clean up oil spills.
Then, he says, “The truth is, you get burned out.”
Around the same time, as a side gig, he had been working as a musician.
“I was around equipment and videography and photographs, and I’d come back and tell these stories of places I’ve been,” Doyle says. Those who heard his stories told him he should write a book, or he should make documentaries. “That’s really where the light bulb went off, and I said, ‘I should be doing documentaries. I can tell these stories.’ So I had to finish college.”
That’s really where the light bulb went off, and I said, ‘I should be doing documentaries. I can tell these stories.’ So I had to finish college.”
-Matthew Doyle
He started at WilmU, first considering Organizational Management, but the video classes soon caught his attention. “I saw the video thing and all the ‘you should write a movie, you should make a movie, you should make a documentary,’ and I said this looks really fun. I think I would enjoy this. And I did.”
He used his new skills to launch a successful video and streaming production company, accomplishing a variety of assignments, including streaming regional and national dance competitions, marching band events, cheerleading competitions and streaming WilmU’s sporting events.
Doyle also works with regional and national companies and organizations to produce, shoot and edit their video content. Those clients include FloSports, Hearst TV, Kittch TV, Delaware City Refinery, Creative Media Group, Broadreach Communications, Shoot the Moon Communications, Propulsion Media Labs, and most recently, working with Skycam during NFL games.
During Doyle’s academic career, he took six courses a semester while also working full-time. “The whole time I just loved every class,” he says. “I loved getting up and going to class. I barely missed any classes.” He went from a middle-C student when he first attended college years ago to a 3.82 GPA today. “Clearly I found something I loved,” he adds. “And thanks to Professor Tim Day and all the teachers there. They made that experience a tremendous one.”
The whole time I just loved every class…”
– Matthew Doyle
Kellee Brown
Kellee Brown echoes Doyle’s assessment. Brown graduated summa cum laude in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Media Design with a Multimedia concentration.
After transferring in with an associate degree, she says, “I wanted to get into more graphic design, multimedia design. I thought that WilmU was a better fit for that because I felt they had more adjunct professors actually in the field and could provide more hands-on experience and relevant work within the courses.”
While in the program, she accepted an internship at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington and began to put her new skills to work immediately. Soon after, she came onboard full time as a multimedia graphic designer, continuing the work she started during her internship.
“At Nemours, I’m mainly help-ing out in their volunteer services department,” she says. “I do basically all of their media. I’ve redesigned two of their brochures, which are displayed in the front of the office. I make promotional materials and videos. I do editing for them, interviews and so on. Everything I do is showcased on a monitor right outside the office.”
The office maintains a YouTube channel, to which Brown contributes. For the last holiday season, she put together a montage of photos for a slideshow presentation.
I wanted to get into more graphic design, multimedia design. I thought that WilmU was a better fit for that because I felt they had more adjunct professors actually in the field and could provide more hands-on experience and relevant work within the courses.” -Kellee Brown
Her enjoyment on the job continues. “I’m great where I’m at right now, being a designer. That’s what I really enjoy. When I first came to WilmU, I was a photography major and I did a bit of that at Nemours, too. But I took one motion design course, for After Effects. I was ‘Oh, this is much cooler. I want to keep doing stuff like this.’” That’s when she switched her major.
Brown spoke about her studies and how those contributed to success in her duties today. Her classes, coupled with the internship experience, have been helpful in assisting her job growth. “Alongside my courses has been my own practice and reinforcing my own skills,” she says. “I can see something that I made back when I first started, and the things I’m doing now, and it’s a huge improvement. I’m really grateful of being able to practice my own skills in that environment.”
But it’s seeing a finished product that gives her the most satisfaction. Her employer recently went through a rebrand process. “Every-thing I had done up to that point, and what they still wanted to use, I had to update with new signage and new colors and new logos. It was fun to do,” she says.
Alongside my courses has been my own practice and reinforcing my own skills,” she says. “I can see something that I made back when I first started, and the things I’m doing now, and it’s a huge improvement. I’m really grateful of being able to practice my own skills in that environment.” -Kellee Brown
“It’s really cool to see a physical product, like the brochures I made, displayed,” she adds. “It’s rewarding. Even if no one around knows that I’m the one that did it, I know.”
Alice Lymon
Alice Lymon, who graduated in 2018 with a Master of Science in Information Systems Technology with Internet and Web Design, came to WilmU with a varied background that included studying zoology, botany, biology and chemistry, and working in a medical office as a transcriptionist.
But perhaps her most important job of all, for a few years, was as a stay-at-home mother supporting her young children, including her son who was diagnosed with autism in the fourth grade. It was important to her, she says, to be there for her children, especially her son, to help with their education. But eventually, as they got older and were in school, she did return to employment outside the home.
Lymon says she always had an interest in technology. “I had the opportunity of a short training that put me on the track of software testing,” she says, and this helped fuel her interest in learning more about testing.
“I wanted the basic understanding of just the technology and the different software tools that were used,” Lymon says. “The WilmU courses were a good fit to my schedule because of the evening classes, and, of course, the different modules were flexible. You could choose ‘either/or’ from those different categories.” She notes that convenient schedules and coursework timelines were conducive to maintaining a home-work balance. Today, Lymon works as an IT specialist for the Small Business Administration.
The WilmU courses were a good fit to my schedule because of the evening classes, and, of course, the different modules were flexible. You could choose ‘either/or’ from those different categories.”
-Alice Lymon
“I work as part of the regression testing team,” she says. “We test software they use for disaster lending, disaster assistance programs. It’s called the Disaster Credit Management System.”
Software developers continually update and enhance the software, and Lymon says it is her department’s job to support the testing of those changes before they go into production. The team also assists business developers troubleshooting the software.
Not only does the agency help small businesses but individuals, too. “It’s exciting, and especially when you think about being a part of the ultimate goal of helping the disaster survivors, especially during hurricane season,” Lymon adds.
As for her future goals, she is looking forward to moving more into business analysis, and she notes, “Even when I’m testing, I’m always looking at how it’s connected to the business processes.”
Lymon says her success, first, is dependent on her faith in God, “and that’s important to me.”
Second, she says, “I originally came from India and it’s growing up in a male-dominated society. I was really fortunate to have parents who supported me, especially my father. They never held us back from the educational goals we had.”
Lymon says she earned a master’s degree in Sociology in India but never used those skills in any of her career goals.
Even when I’m testing, I’m always looking at how it’s connected to the business processes.”
-Alice Lymon
Reflecting on her decision to return to school while working and raising a family, Lymon notes, “I guess with my kids, it was a challenge, thinking about going back to college.”
Of course, there were times when she was “crazy with assignments,” she says. “But my husband and kids are very supportive as well, so they helped me.”
Juanita Buchanan
For someone seeking a real challenge, Juanita Buchanan found WilmU to be the perfect place.
From earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Web Information Systems in 2015, she continued to earn a graduate certificate in SCADA Cyber Security in 2018, and later topped it off with a Master of Science in Information Systems Technologies, Information Assurance, in 2019. And in 2020, she earned two ISACA certifications; Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE).
But all those successes came after she did an about-face on her plans as a student in a business management program at a local college. Turns out, technology was calling.
“I really wanted more of a challenge and a business degree just didn’t give me that,” she says.
Her husband was already work-ing in the field of technology, so she looked into universities with an eye toward technology programs and affordability. She found that WilmU met her requirements. And her children and grandchildren supported her efforts as well.
“The College of Technology offered a couple of different degree programs, and so I said, ‘OK, let me go ahead and give that a try,’” she says. “Initially, I thought I was going to be sitting on a beach writing code for the rest of my life.”
The College of Technology offered a couple of different degree programs, and so I said, ‘OK, let me go ahead and give that a try,’”
-Juanita Buchanan
She found an internship with Pepco Holdings (PHI) in 2013. “I was looking for a company that I could transition into that I could really make an impact and grow with.”
The internship was supposed to run for 12 weeks, but they kept extending it, she says.
“My manager pretty much worked around my school schedule,” Buchanan notes. “So, I was able to pick up a full-time load and still take courses with Wilmington. And everything I was learning through that technology program I was able to then incorporate into what I was doing in practice, working in IT client support.”
Buchanan completed her degree in 2015 and was hired in a new position with PHI in their Operation Control Center, “playing an important role in the maintenance and restoration of electric and gas distribution and transmission,” she says.
Her work led to another realization — she became fascinated with understanding how the electric grid works, so she continued her studies for a second degree in Electric Transmission System Technologies.
But a master’s degree was something she really wanted. Completing the SCADA graduate certificate and then the master’s work in information assurance was a path she felt she was meant to take.
Understanding the electric grid led to something else, she says.
“Securing the electric grid became my passion. How are we securing them?” This led to the focus of her master’s thesis.
Buchanan also notes how she, through her work, developed a great appreciation for the people who work on the electric lines. “That is a risky job. Sometimes the lines are live. And there’s been unfortunate cases where it really just comes down to safety. It just gives you such a great appreciation for the people who are out in the field keeping the lights on.”
In 2019, she was invited to teach as an adjunct in the College of Technology, something she continues to do.
“I wanted to be in a space where I could mentor others, where I could coach others. And I thought that teaching would be the greatest opportunity to do that, especially with the university that I felt comfortable with.”
I wanted to be in a space where I could mentor others, where I could coach others. And I thought that teaching would be the greatest opportunity to do that, especially with the university that I felt comfortable with.”
-Juanita Buchanan
Buchanan notes she built her teaching philosophy around WilmU’s vision and mission statement. CTA 206, Computer Applications, was the first course she taught, and she says she later helped enhance it through designing practical assignments in Excel, Word and PowerPoint. She also taught cyber courses. “I’ve continued to grow through the challenges I’ve faced, and I am grateful to be in a position where I’m now able to mentor others to navigate their careers in a positive progression,” she says. “I’m able to mentor students as well and I really enjoy that.”
Buchanan recently accepted new opportunities at her company, Exelon (which had acquired PHI). She was named a supervisor in Security Risk Management in 2021, then moved to a new role as an IT manager in IT Talent and Workforce Development in 2022.
“I always envisioned my career to lead me into a management role, but I didn’t think it would be in IT Talent and Workforce Development, not if you asked me in 2015,” she says. “As I have progressed in my career, I’ve been a learner, and an analyst, a teacher, an instructor and most of all, a leader. I realized that the only way to truly live out my passions are to combine them completely. I am now in a role where I can constantly ‘think security,’ while leading and impacting the change that is required.”
-Janice K. Colvin