Computer science major Mackenzie Dolishny ’20 had no coding experience when she first came to Pace. She worked hard to catch up, landing internships at the likes of IBM and American Express, and even a full-time job at Microsoft.

Mackenzie Dolishny ’20 is passionate about facilitating connections between people. It’s why, she said, she decided to pursue a career in the STEM field despite having no coding experience when she applied to colleges. “In the beginning of my first programming class at Pace, I did not do well on the first few assignments,” she told us. “I wallowed in self-pity for a few days and then put my head in the books. I spent countless hours reading the textbook, developing different projects, and doing challenges on HackerRank.”

She not only learned how to code, but she worked her way up to the top of her class—with a 3.99 GPA, no less. Talk about serious dedication. “My advice to incoming students would be not to confuse movement with progress,” Dolishny said. “Many times, we complete assignments and finish tests with good grades. However, I challenge every student to ask themselves: are you actually learning? Are you actually improving?”

In an effort to improve and hone her skills, Dolishny added a mathematics minor to her busy schedule, as she says, “computer science is heavily rooted in calculus and probability.” She even included an economics minor! “[It] has broadened my education beyond engineering and math and has made me a more well-rounded individual.”

“This big picture thinking completely redefined the goals I have for myself and redefined the way I perceive the world around me.”

It really comes as no surprise, then, that Dolishny’s drive attracted the attention of a Seidenberg professor who offered her a position as lead developer on the Pace University Multi-School Environmental Sensors Project. “An opportunity like [that] won’t find you in a classroom of 400 students in a big lecture hall,” she explained. “Working on this project as lead developer helped me attain interviews and internships further down the line that completely changed my career path. If I hadn’t gone to Pace, I would not have been as successful as I was.”

Since then, Dolishny’s internships have been numerous: data analyst at Seidenberg, application development at IBM, software engineering at American Express, and most recently, a full-time position in software engineering at Microsoft in Seattle come Fall 2020. But like all exceptionally successful people, Dolishny initially struggled with imposter syndrome. “In the beginning of my internship [at IBM], I was worried that I didn’t know enough to be working for such a great company and I was nervous that I wouldn’t do well,” she told us. “I realized during that internship that so many of the skills we use at work, we learn on the job. This gave me more confidence and that confidence carried into future internships.”

Dolishny is also a Grace Hopper Scholar, having been selected to participate in the Challenge Based Innovation Project, which allowed her to study abroad. “I had the opportunity to work with renowned physicists at CERN in Switzerland, which is home to the world’s largest science experiment, the Large Hadron Collider,” Dolishny explained. “This big picture thinking completely redefined the goals I have for myself and redefined the way I perceive the world around me.”

That level of knowledge and experience has opened doors for her even beyond Pace. In her sophomore year, Dolishny was asked to guest lecture a graduate class at NYU on big data and non-relational databases. “I felt so honored to be teaching such intelligent and brilliant students. It made me realize that one of my greatest passions is giving back and teaching others,” she told us.

As Dolishny climbs to even greater heights in her career, she’s also reaching for the sky in other ways, too. Did you know she parasails? “I parasail frequently with my family on summer vacation,” she said, in addition to playing basketball, softball, volleyball, dodgeball, and a variety of other sports, including skiing and snowboarding in the winter months. “I love to stay active and play sports in my free time,” Dolishny explained.

Alysa LeBon ’23 gets it done. As a dual-enrollment transfer student, she’s the president of Pace’s Her Campus chapter, voting ambassador for CCAR, co-recruitment chair for P.A.C.E. Board, student ambassador for PaceBound, and so much more

Communication studies major Alysa LeBon ’23 experienced what she describes as a “weird process” getting to where she is in her academic journey. She’s currently a dual-enrollment transfer student who came to Pace with 35 existing credits, which was a boost that enabled her to minor in two subjects: arts and entertainment management as well as anthropology and sociology. That’s a lot for one person to take on! But she had her heart set on coming to the NYC Campus—and taking full advantage of our offerings here.

“When I visited Pace’s open house, I instantly felt connected to the community and campus,” Alysa said. “I could see myself walking from 182 Broadway to One Pace Plaza, and even began making friends. When I returned, I knew Pace was the place for me.”

“It allowed me to recognize how important it is to raise your voice and speak up for others who cannot speak for themselves,” Alysa said.

Alysa is the president of the Her Campus chapter here at Pace, and an active member of several clubs and organizations including the Programming and Campus Entertainment (P.A.C.E.) Board as co-recruitment chair; PaceBound as a student ambassador; The Pace Press as a contributor; among many other roles. “I know it can be hard making friends and finding your place, but there is always an organization waiting for someone new with open arms,” Alysa explained. “I dedicate my time to our community to give other students chances that are unique to Pace.”

As a voting ambassador for the Center for Community Action and Research (CCAR), Alysa tied in her work with Her Campus by leading a campaign between the two. She spoke at one of CCAR’s many successful Instagram live events about the importance of voting in elections, particularly within local communities. “It allowed me to recognize how important it is to raise your voice and speak up for others who cannot speak for themselves,” Alysa said.

Her work has consistently brought many different communities within Pace together. It has enriched the NYC Campus, and it even broadened Alysa’s perspective, too. During the Her Campus Diversity in the Sports Industries event—where guest speaker Chelsey Falzone, senior coordinator of community relations for the Minnesota Twins, spoke—Alysa first became interested in sports. She was surprised and inspired to hear from such an accomplished woman in hockey, an industry largely dominated by men. “I am really interested in empowering women, [and] I would love to see women getting more recognition from coaches to the Women’s National Hockey League,” she enthused. “I hope women like myself can break through into offices that range from on and off the ice. I would love to work in a communications or public relations position in hockey!”

Looking ahead, Alysa is currently wrapping up her work as a Graduate Enrollment student assistant and PaceBound student ambassador, not to mention overseeing Her Campus programming. “I hope we plan even more events including, self-care nights, Her Campus merchandise, and hosting collaboration nights with other organizations,” Alysa said. To learn more about the organization, visit the Pace Her Campus website and be sure to follow them on social media.

We’re excited to see where Alysa goes next! She certainly has a bright future ahead of her.