Area Students Experience Silicon Valley

Alternate Spring Break Means Networking and Learning

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Shaun McKeehan (left) and Kevin Kruse at Tesla Motors on their Silicon Valley trip for spring break.

HOUGHTON, MI (03/19/2013)(readMedia)-- Fifteen Michigan Technological University students headed west for the third annual Silicon Valley Spring Break Experience. Organized by the School of Business and Economics, the trip exposed students to the entrepreneurial spirit and technological innovation of the Silicon Valley.

Local students on the trip included Kevin Kruse, an electrical engineering student from Oconto Falls, and Shaun McKeehan, a computer engineering student from Green Bay.

"The Silicon Valley trip was a fantastic experience because it gave us the opportunity to see the differences in the company culture and get a glimpse of what it is like to live in the area," McKeehan said. "Google, for example, provided their employees free food, swimming pools and volleyball courts all to keep them happy and productive. It was a great opportunity to be able to meet and network with company representatives in the hopes for future employment as well. We also got to meet Michigan Tech alumni and network with them which was neat to see what they did with their Michigan Tech education in the Silicon Valley. This along with the warm weather all made for a great trip!

The trip included visits to tech giants Google, Cisco, Kyocera, Brocade, Tesla and other companies, many of which employ Michigan Tech alumni. Brocade Communications Systems, run by 1965 Tech alumnus and supporter Dave House, is sponsoring the trip. Opportunities for students included learning about the technology of these cutting-edge corporations, career paths in Silicon Valley and successful business strategies.

"Students get to experience a city and culture outside of the Midwest. This is extremely valuable because they get to learn from fast-paced, constantly evolving technological companies," said Carly Benson of the School of Business and Economics.

Michigan Technological University (www.mtu.edu) is a leading public research university developing new technologies and preparing students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech offers more than 130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering; forest resources; computing; technology; business; economics; natural, physical and environmental sciences; arts; humanities; and social sciences.