Why Indiana? A Student's Perspective on Tech Opportunities with Sam Huser

In this episode of See Yourself IN, host Casey Harrison interviews Sam Huser, an Indiana University student deeply passionate about technology and innovation. Sam recounts his journey from contemplating self-learning coding post-high school to embracing college life at IU. He shares insights from his involvement in the Luddy Learning Community and the TechPoint Xtern program, working with companies like HC1. Along the way, he discusses overcoming academic and personal obstacles, the rigorous process of securing internships, and the value of networking and continuous learning in career growth. Sam also touches on persistence, adaptability, and the importance of having a supportive community in navigating the tech industry.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Embrace continuous learning: Never stop exploring new knowledge and skills, even outside of your chosen field.

2. Persevere through challenges: Difficult times can lead to growth and unexpected opportunities.

3. Build a supportive network: Surround yourself with people who encourage and motivate you.

4. Explore different paths: College and internships can expose you to new passions and career options.

5. Find your place: You can build a fulfilling career and life in Indiana's thriving tech industry.

For more resources on the jobs, companies, and opportunities in Indiana, visit
https://www.cicpindiana.com/syi/  

Transcript

Casey Harrison: Welcome to today's episode of See Yourself IN where you will learn about cool jobs, people and companies in Indiana. You'll learn about skills that will help you find success. And most importantly, we hope they inspire you to dream big. I'm Casey Harrison, your host. On today's show, we'll dive into Indiana's advanced industries and why they're important.

We'll talk about the skills that are transferable across jobs and industries, and we'll determine some of the best ways to begin exploring these opportunities. Joining us is Sam Huser, a driven Indiana University student with a passion for doing meaningful work that inspires him while making a lasting impact.

Sam's on a mission to innovate throughout his career, constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible. We're excited to hear about his journey, insights, and what fuels his passion for Indiana's tech industry on today's episode.

Sam, welcome to the podcast. 

Sam Huser: Thank you. Thanks for having me. 

Casey Harrison: Yeah, we're excited that you're here. We mentioned in the opener that you're currently a student at Indiana University. So we'll start there. Could you tell our listeners what brought you to Indiana or what's kept you here? 

Sam Huser: So, I mean, nothing's really brought me to Indiana.

I've been born and raised in Indiana for my entire life, was born in Carmel, grew up in Westfield, Indiana. I still drive by the hospital I was born at every day to see my grandpa. But what's actually interesting about me going to Indiana University is that throughout high school, I didn't want to go to college for a while because I said, why should I go pay for it when I can just instead learn skills online with coding and programming to try to then go a separate route around college and find a job.

But that's a lot harder than the thing you got to have to always have that piece of paper with you to give yourself some more credit. And then. I toured, Indiana University to find a place to go tour, and I fell in love with the campus because I'm more social in an aspect and a lot of other like computer science programs aren't very, they're very rigorous and very hard, but I went to Indiana University and I saw people chatting, talking, having fun, smiling.

And that's why I went to a university. 

Casey Harrison: I'm going to run that back because I feel like you just gave us a ton and there are a lot of really good nuggets in there. So when you were in high school, you were actually thinking that you did not want to go down a college pathway. You felt like you could get the credentialing and the experience you needed without going down college.

Sam Huser: Correct. 

Casey Harrison: Wow. And did you know at that time what you wanted to do? I mean, do right? We're constantly figuring that out. But did you have that linear path on what future looked like? 

Sam Huser: Yeah, I always do. I wanted to go into software engineering because it started off when I was in seventh grade. I love video games.

So I went down the path of teaching myself how to use this tool, game engine called Unity, which is a game engine. I made like a multiplayer online game for my friends and I to make, and that was very fun. But then I went off and then COVID happened. My sister is actually a nurse and her hospital was the first hospital that had a COVID patient in Indiana.

And she was living at home with us at the time, so we didn't know what was going on. At that time, I was working at Kroger. And from there, and then so our house went to lockdown because she was going in and out of the hospital. So I had time on my hands, not really doing anything. So I started teaching myself how to make an app using Android Studio.

And then that app turned into learning how to do stuff with iOS. In the Swift UI program language, and then that turned into me learning a whole other language. So then I realized, if you put the time and effort, you can learn it so that you can build what you want to learn. You just got to put in the time and does take a lot of time.

That project had three different versions over three years. So I ended it around freshman year in college, when I started my sophomore year in high school. 

Casey Harrison: So if you're listening, it sounds like there's opportunity for you to continue learning about the industries that you're passionate about. I mean, for you, it sounds like gaming was your entry point into your current field of study at IU, which is what?

Sam Huser: Computer science. 

Casey Harrison: Computer science. Okay, connect the dots for us in you didn't want to go to college. It wasn't for you. You weren't In some ways, you were already creating a pathway in the coding system, right? Or coding industry, rather. How did you turn that around and decide that college was a good opportunity for you?

Sam Huser: I talked to my sisters who both went to college, and they said that college isn't just about studying. It's also about meeting people. You might find another path. I mean, that's actually happened to me. So basically, when I was at IU, I was part of the Luddy Learning Community, the LLC. See? And Luddy Living Learning Center.

Yeah, and it's a lot of L's. So from there, we went to a school trip to San Francisco. And there I saw an incredible speech by Fred Luddy himself. Like I met Fred Luddy and he sat up on stage. They asked him a question. I'll never forget it. They asked him. They said, what does it feel like knowing that every student in here is wearing your name on their chest?

And this man started literally crying in front of us. He said, when I was 17, he said, living in the back of a car, I can never imagine what I've built. And he even said, he moved himself down as CEO in his company that was worth millions of dollars because if the company wanted to grow, he had to step down.

He was out of his limit. So he became software. And that inspired me to realize that I don't really like the business side of like startups and whatnot. I like programming. So I went down that path. So I dropped my entrepreneurship minor and actually went to an ISC minor, which is intelligent systems engineering.

So that's more hardware focused as well. So I may have said that I was going down software engineering and I wanted to do like a business minor college shows you other paths. 

Casey Harrison: I love this. I don't know how many episodes of See Yourself In you've tuned into yet, but I feel like that's a common theme in all of them is we go in with these intentions, but the more we learn and the more we're exposed to, we discover new passions or just things we're curious about.

Right. And we never know how those curiosities are going to take us around a corner to a whole new adventure. So I love that without even maybe knowing you're illustrating that in your own journey. Let's go back. So you enrolled in IU and you got accepted. You got into Luddy and you said you're studying computer science.

Yep. Perfect. Okay. So at what point did you learn about TechPoint's extern program? 

Sam Huser: Oh my word. This is a really funny story. basically there's this one website. My friend recommended me that lists a whole bunch of internships and I'm not going to lie. I just went through and I just applied to all of them.

I just went through and just applied. I mean, at that point I had 21 internship applications applied to. And then me getting an offer, I mean, going through this whole Tech Point intern program and only having 21, it was pretty remarkable, especially in sophomore year. So I got pretty lucky when it comes to that, but that's, I didn't, when I applied to extern, I didn't even know that was in Indiana because the website didn't list that was in Indiana.

Casey Harrison: Wow. and so if you're listening and you're like, what is Xtern, break it down for me. The Xtern program is under TechPoint and it really is the growth initiative for Indiana's digital innovation economy. So through this program, they're really committed to expanding the talent pipeline, enhancing connectivity and transforming Indiana from an emerging tech hub into an actual global leader in digital innovation.

So it's a pretty incredible opportunity to, it sounds like almost fall into a little bit, like you weren't totally sure what you were signing up for. Yeah. Yeah. 

Sam Huser: Yeah, I really fell into it. And then throughout the application process, I did in person interview was my first ever in person interview. And from there, it was last summer I interned at, so Xtern is the program, right?

So I kind of say like the Xtern thing is a club and then you work at different companies. So I worked at, HC1, which is a company in Indianapolis that make lab. CRM. So customer resource management. So that's what their product was. So I worked on that product during my internship. I actually worked on like an A.

I. assistant injection web page for their CRM. So that was very cool. And then I also met some incredible people that I've never met before because they went to Purdue. 

Casey Harrison: Let's talk a little bit about the logistics of the program. So you have to apply to get in and then you go through how many interviews to get accepted.

Sam Huser: So if you apply, they do an application overview and if they like your application, you will get a online assessment. So an online is like they test your programming skills. Then after they test your programming skills, if you apply, if you make it there, that's good. And then they'll say, all right, next round.

And then after that round, they'll do another. And then after that, then there's the in person interview, and then you get the job if someone likes you. 

Casey Harrison: I think that's such a great experience. I mean, getting in is wonderful. But even if you don't, that experience and going through that interview simulation and getting used to the interview practice is such a competitive advantage for you at your age and just getting into the workforce.

So when you're in the program, how long of a time commitment is it? 

Sam Huser: My internship, it depends on company to company about how much they pay you. So it's not a standard pay over the entire extern program, but it is 40 hours a week. Mine was, I believe it was from May 28th to August 8th. So just for the summer intern, I got lucky that my internship was only like 10 minutes from my actual home.

So 

Casey Harrison: that's convenient. 

Sam Huser: So I stayed home for a majority of the extern program, but I think if you are in it and you do live home, I would definitely go back on the weekends, like what I did to visit. 

Casey Harrison: Will it continue summer over summer, or is it an end, like when you're in and you apply and you go through the process, it's a one year program 

Sam Huser: one year.

So I like I just recently reapplied to it 

Casey Harrison: for the next year. So cool. So hypothetically, you could do this every year that you're in college. And by the end of it, not only do you have your degree, but you've got, this new network of companies. Oh, and the portfolio experience of working there. 

Sam Huser: Yep.

Casey Harrison: Wow. What are you learning or maybe what did you learn in summer one about being involved in the program? And maybe, that question is also that first point of exposure to the workforce. 

Sam Huser: When I went into my internship program, I really wanted to learn how a software company operates. At this point, my only work experience is working three years at Meijer.

So I really wanted to learn how and Corporate office works or like how for instance, what happened with CrowdStrike? How did they prevent a bug from getting out so that it doesn't shut down the entire system? So I learned a lot about what's called github Which is like a place to store your files and version control of the software So that makes sure that's like a barrier to go actually post the product Out to the work for like to users so that it doesn't mess up and like crash So that's one thing I really learned from it And I'm actually using it personally right now in my classes because GitHub is a major point that you will always use to your day to day if you're a software engineer.

Casey Harrison: That's so important that you're, you learn skills that you're now using. That's the whole point of all of this. What might you share with people listening that are thinking like, Oh, I've never heard of this. This sounds really intriguing. I might like to try it. What advice would you give them? Do 

Sam Huser: it. Just do it.

Yeah, nothing to lose. if you get to the interview stage, I mean. Before Xtern, I did an online assessment. I got declined to one of the company. So even if you get declined from Xtern from like your OA or something like that, at least you went through the process and know how it works because you will see those questions at other companies because they all basically kind of pull the same questions out of the same place.

So that's what I would, just say apply. And if you even get through that stage, having an in person interview is so rare these days, especially in our, in the tech sector, that it is a one in a lifetime opportunity. 

Casey Harrison: I hate to ask this question because I have always hated being asked this question, so I'm going to gently like tap dance around it.

But I think it's important because you have had an incredible experience at TechPoint through the extern program. You've also already started coding and creating your own products in the market while you're going to school and getting a huge new section of knowledge and skills that you can take out into the world.

Do you feel like these experiences have given you more clarity on the next five years or your future career path or your current career path? 

Sam Huser: Definitely. My mom can even attest to this. Ever since I was young, I wanted to move out to California. I wanted to live in California, work there, work at Google, work at all the big tech companies.

But I mean, with recently going on over there, cost of living as I'm getting older and older, I'm realizing that I'm probably going to stay in Indiana. So I have more land so I can fix cars with my dad on the side. So that's one thing that I'm definitely excited about. So that's definitely a major pathway change.

Casey Harrison: the incredible thing about this episode, and if you're listening and you haven't gone back and heard the episode featuring Scott Dorsey with High Alpha, please go back and listen because it complements this episode so well. So Scott was at the forefront of really creating a technology scene, an industry pipeline here in Indiana.

And it's very interesting to hear you talk about the fact that you don't have to move now. You actually can stay in Indiana and build a life that you love because you can do the things. With your family and you can pursue your hobbies, but you also have really vibrant and attractive career options in the tech industry right here in central Indiana.

It's incredible. Are there companies here that you're already just starting to get interested in and thinking about that might be a next step for you? 

Sam Huser: Yeah, I've applied to SCP because it's actually in Westfield. I would like to go back to HC1. I enjoy working there a lot. I've also applied to, there's a lot of startups in the IU area, so I'm actually a part of one at an IU Innovates, working on another app.

So it's kind of like trying to keep it on the down low right now because we're about to launch, but it's been a whole bunch of hoopla about that all. But yeah, that's probably what I'm looking at. Those companies, Eli Lilly, of course, and Salesforce too. 

Casey Harrison: So keep an eye on Sam, right? Keep an eye, connect from this episode.

Let's pivot just a little bit, like as a young professional, it's really important to find things that you're passionate about and it's also really beautiful when those things start to align with your industry. Clearly, you love the tech industry. What is it that you are so passionate about? 

Sam Huser: Oh man, my passion keeps changing.

I have too many to be honest with you. I have too many. It's a good problem. It's a good problem. It's also an expensive problem. That's fair. That's 

Casey Harrison: fair. 

Sam Huser: I love hardware. So I'm like, I'm trying to set myself up for the future that if I want to go into more hardware focused tech, I can make that switch. And then from there recently, my dad, three years ago, took me to Indy 500.

So I've gotten into racing now and I just was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway racing an autonomous Indy car with IU. So that's the way I've combined two of my passions. And that was insane. That was, I was in the pit and everything racing. It wasn't like an electric Indy car. It was a full V6 next level chassis, Dallara.

And it was awesome. Our car went about 125 miles an hour autonomously. 

Casey Harrison: Unforgettable. unfortunately, our episodes go incredibly fast. So we're wrapping up on our time today. But before we leave, we love to ask our guests to share three things that they've learned on their journey that might either inspire or just shed some wisdom for the people listening.

So I will let you share your three recommendations or lessons learned. 

Sam Huser: One is always love learning. Never think that you're not done learning. There's always something new around the corner. Just love learning. Two. If you're going through hard times, push through it because there's always a better light at the end of the tunnel.

I mean, that year I got into extern, I had a very rough start to that semester, but I pushed through it all, got through it, all the hard times, all the hardships. I was able to come on out with an internship. And then I also second semester, freshman year, I didn't do well in school. I ended that year with a 2.

8 GPA, but then my sophomore year, I dug down, hunkered down. And I ended the year with a Dean's List and only two B pluses and all As. So if you just take the hardships around you and really just dig down and work hard, good things will happen. And then have people around you that support you. I don't think I would have been here without all my friends at IU who helped push me to do better in school, in grades, and also lead me to directions of extracurricular activities at IU.

Casey Harrison: I love that. Those are great pieces of advice. If you're listening and you're interested in connecting with Sam, how can our listeners find you? 

Sam Huser: Oh, I'm on LinkedIn, Samuel Huser. That's basically where I'm at. And then I'm on Instagram, but that's, I don't post a lot there. So 

Casey Harrison: don't find Sam there. No, So, 

Sam Huser: yeah, follow me on LinkedIn, Kitchener LinkedIn.

Always happy to help. If you have a tech problem you want to learn. I always love talking about tech and I always love trying to problem solve with tech. So you have an issue. I'll see if Technology can help you in a way. 

Casey Harrison: And we'll put some information about TechPoint program in the show notes. So if you're listening and wanting to lean in or maybe check out the program and apply, we'll make sure those links are easy to find.

Sam, thank you for joining us. Thank you for having 

Sam Huser: me. 

Casey Harrison: We're so glad that you were able to join us to learn about Indiana's advanced industries and how you can start or enhance your career journey. Until next time, we hope that you'll be able to see yourself in the unlimited opportunities in Indiana.