A jam-packed college experience leads to success after graduation

Melanie Couillard doesn’t need a digital calendar to keep up with her schedule.

Instead, the graduating computer science major maps her busy life across a collection of color-coded planners and handwritten whiteboards.

“It gets overwhelming to always be looking at a screen, so calendars are one place I don’t,” said Couillard, a fourth-year student from Delmar, N.Y.

That analog system has helped Couillard balance a full college experience of academics, club leadership, and performing arts. It also helped her land a full-time information technology job supporting the New York State Department of Health.

From the moment she stepped onto RIT’s campus, Couillard knew she had found her place.

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Couillard was the section leader for two RIT musical groups and, as an oboe player, she got to tune the orchestra and band.

“Everywhere you go there is always a smiling face,” said Couillard. “The professors really care and want to help us succeed. And I made so many friends. RIT has allowed me to do everything I love.”

During her first year, Couillard worked with a professor to get into the Honors Program. As a French minor, she took classes outside of her major and got to do a summer study abroad in France. More recently, she earned the Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award and she’s been finishing up a collection of classes for her theater arts immersion.

Four days a week, Couillard can be found at music practice. She plays the oboe and English horn in the RIT Concert Band and RIT Philharmonic Orchestra. As a Performing Arts Scholar, she also does two performances with each group every semester.

“Music is calming to me and centers me—it’s a nice outlet to have fun,” she said. “None of us are music majors, but with the amount of dedication we put into practice, it feels good to put on a show for an audience and make someone’s day better.”

As a student, Couillard also became involved in the Women in Computing (WiC) group. She grew her leadership roles with WiC helping to organize K–12 events, a gala, and social events. Inspired by her own freshman-year mentor, Couillard also helped expand the WiC mentorship program for underclassmen.

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For Girl Scout Badge Days with RIT’s Women in Computing group, Couillard got to dress up as the RIT mascot, Ritchie.

 

“What sets Melanie apart is not simply the breadth of her involvement—but the depth of her character,” said Lana Verschage, director of Student Engagement and Belonging, and Women in Computing in RIT’s Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. “She approaches every challenge with enthusiasm and grace, and her positive influence on her peers is unmistakable.”

Now, Couillard is preparing for what’s next on her calendar.

“I’ve always wanted to help people, and I had dreamed of working healthcare,” said Couillard. “But ultimately, I realized that I couldn’t deal with blood.”

Luckily, she found that computer science could be applied everywhere and she could give back through her expertise. For one of her co-op experiences, she worked at Insulet, a medical device company with technology that helps people with diabetes.

In March, Couillard secured a full-time position as an Information Technology Specialist 2 Programmer with the New York State Office of Information Technology Services. At her new role, in Albany, N.Y., she’ll be closer to family. Couillard was also pleased to learn that she was assigned to support the New York State Department of Health.