Syracuse iSchool sends students to Silicon Valley for spring break

The Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool) sent 12 students to Silicon Valley in California during the University’s spring break to visit technology startups and businesses.

“I’m extremely grateful to the staff and the iSchool at Syracuse University for this trip,” says iSchool graduate student Elizabeth Ruscitto G’12. “Even if I had spent a month out in Silicon Valley on my own, I would not have been able to have the level of access, hold as meaningful conversations or create new networks as I did during the five days of spring break in Silicon Valley.”

Ruscitto was just one student who tweeted and blogged about her experiences visiting the businesses on the tour, including LinkedIn, The Technology Museum of Innovation, eBay, Shasta Ventures, 500 Startups, Facebook, Google, Dictionary.com, Delivery Agent, LiveFyre and Klout.

She accompanied iSchool students Mone Clark ’14, Steve Marquez ’11, Hillary Maxwell ’11, Anne Marie Suchanek ’13, and Richard Tehan ’11; Jason Blanck G’12 of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; Terence Nip ’14 and Jeffrey Sweeney ’12 of the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science; Barbara Rodriguez G’11 of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; Daniel Russell ’11 and Matthew Werbeck ’11 of Le Moyne College; iSchool director of West Coast Relationships Shay Colson; and iSchool director of Undergraduate Recruitment Julie Walas.

“It was really good, especially because I’m from New York City, to see the way the West Coast handles business,” says Suchanek.“I saw work environments and philosophies on both the work-life balance and going green you just don’t see on the East Coast. Now I have to convince my parents to let me go there for an internship.”

The group tweeted their way through offices, meeting with employees to hear about their experiences working for the various companies in Silicon Valley and spotting Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg working on his computer.

“With every stop the students were able to not only see, but experience the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Silicon Valley,” says Walas. “While exciting, this environment and the trip in general really challenged students to step out of their comfort zones and ask themselves some tough questions about their own future plans. It was incredible to watch their development over the five days we were together and witness the group learn and grow together.”