Board games and computer science go hand in hand for Digital Corps development team apprentice Connor Vessely. While data analytics and machine learning take up most of his class time, his free time is dedicated to a different kind of problem solving, competitive board games. 

These strategy games are part of the reason he loves development. Connor approaches learning by looking at different perspectives and absorbing as much information as he can, a skill that comes in handy working at the Digital Corps, along with describing himself as empathetic, analytical, and a true busy body. 

One of Connor’s current projects presents more unique challenges as he navigates new systems,

“…part of the difficulty is knowing the data and knowing which technology works the best. Practice makes perfect in this case, so there’s a lot of trial and error.”

Trial and error, one of his skills he attributes to his love of board games, comes in handy for a lot of his development work and at his other job as a ball state tutor.  He uses his industry knowledge but also his personable skills like collaboration and empathy to help students better understand their work. 

Connor also says that working at the Corps and as a tutor, “helps me be able to talk about domain specific things to ANYONE,” as he wants to be able to share the world of development to those who don’t work in the field. 

Connor spends his free time cooking his favorite dishes that usually involve a peanut sauce and attending board game events. He can’t wait to explore more of the world post-graduation and continue his hobbies that allow him to solve problems and get end results that enact change.