University of Advancing Technology's Official Technology Blog

University of Advancing Technology (UAT) alumni are building careers in robotics, systems engineering, cybersecurity, IT and design. In this edition of our alumni highlights, we caught up with six recent grads to hear where they've landed, how they got there, and what they'd pass along to the students following in their footsteps.

Paul Otterson

Electrical Engineer II, Jaxon Engineering - Robotics and Embedded Systems, 2025

Paul hit the ground running. During his last couple of years at UAT, he worked full time as an associate engineer while finishing his degree. When he graduated in 2025, he stepped straight up to Electrical Engineer II.

Balancing school and a full-time engineering job wasn't easy, but Paul says it paid off tremendously in the long run. He encourages students to find a part-time job or internship in an industry that interests them. Looking back on his own early career, he also stresses choosing your first role carefully: "Burnout happens a lot for new engineers, so choosing where you spend your first year or two is very important."

Savannah Marx

Graphic Production Artist, Redstone Print and Mail - Game Art & Animation, 2025

Savannah brings her creative skills to Redstone Print and Mail, where she works as a Graphic Production Artist. Her approach to building a career is refreshingly honest: start small and work your way up. "Hopefully," she adds, "but I'm still working on the latter."

Her tip for students is to stay on top of coursework and start applying for internships right away.

Sulliven Weiss

System Engineer, River Run Computers - Network Security, 2025

Sulliven is a System Engineer at River Run Computers, and organization is at the heart of how he works. At UAT, he planned his week once, every week, in a single document he could hold himself to. That kept the mental load on the assignments themselves instead of on managing his time.

He carried that habit into his career. Sulliven keeps a personal runbook of everything he works on, which makes year-end reviews easy. "No one else keeps track but yourself," he says. When job hunting, he paired his resume with his boards site to show employers an organized record of what he could do.

His philosophy on that first job? "Shoot for the stars, land on the moon." Know your value, find a place that compensates you fairly, and protect your work-life balance. "Your first job will be foundational for your future."

Dylan Maxwell

Help Desk Technician, Updike Distribution Logistics - Advancing Computer Science, 2025

Dylan is putting his tech degree to work as a Help Desk Technician at Updike Distribution Logistics. He's a firm believer that a tech degree opens doors across many fields, so he advises students to apply widely, even to roles that differ a bit from their original plan.

Above all, Dylan values the community he found at UAT. "Go to class, meet people, interact with the things UAT offers," he says. "A lot of the people there are great."

Ozzy James

Cybersecurity Analyst, The Bonadio Group with FoxPointe Solutions - Network Security, Network Engineering & Artificial Intelligence, 2025

Ozzy landed his role as a Cybersecurity Analyst by putting himself out there. He volunteered for everything and attended as many events as he could. "That's how I got this job," he says.

For Ozzy, connecting with people opened far more doors than sending out resume after resume. Every event was a chance to learn something new and to be remembered. He's also a fan of starting wherever you can get in, noting that even an internship after graduation can lead to a full-time offer.

Martin Rios

IT Help Desk Administrator, Forrest Logistics - Network Security, 2025

Martin is an IT Help Desk Administrator at Forrest Logistics, and some of his most useful tools came straight from the classroom. He kept detailed digital notes throughout his time at UAT in OneNote and Google Drive. He still references his notes from Security Essentials, both later in his studies and on the job.

Martin also got an early start on his job search. Reviewing entry-level postings well before graduation helped him understand what employers were looking for and shape a strong resume.

Proud of our alumni

From robotics labs to security operations, these six grads show just how many directions a UAT education can take you. We're proud of what they've accomplished and can't wait to see what's next.

Are you a UAT alum with a story to share? We'd love to feature you in a future alumni highlight.

Ready to start your own story? Explore UAT’s degrees and schedule a visit today.