Miguel Fernandez

While his classmates were hanging out in dorm rooms, Miguel Fernandez spent his free time last fall in a hospital room — camped out by the side of his father, who underwent a heart and double lung transplant in September.

Many sons might slack in their studies faced with such worrying circumstances.

Not Fernandez.

“I went to see him every day,” remembers the computer science major, who maintained a stellar academic record throughout, “and would take my work with me.”

The surgery was successful, and so was Fernandez — in nabbing a job offer as a software engineer before he even graduated.

The recent alum credits Towson’s “good mix of application and theory” for preparing him for the work world. Hands-on experience in courses and internships gave him the opportunity to take on large-scale computer science projects that provided the know-how employers seek.

“ Hands-on experience in courses and internships gave me the opportunity to take on large-scale computer science projects that provided me with the know-how employers seek. ”

Fernandez is also grateful for what he calls the “diverse experience” he gained as a member of Towson University’s enriching Honors College, which exposed him to a variety of perspectives. One such experience, recalls the Baltimore native, was an honors seminar that charged participants to apply an aspect of their majors to the subject of acoustic ecology.

For his final project, Fernandez created a computer program that used sounds from nature to produce a random compilation. The result was a “song” that was different each time it was played.

“That was a really unique challenge,” says Fernandez, explaining that this interdisciplinary approach helped him develop problem-solving skills.

These days Fernandez is settling in to his new job at an insurance company in Missouri. And although he misses his family, striking out on his own was an important step.

“That was one of my goals when I graduated,” says Fernandez, “to move and get a new experience.”