Stacy Monarko '04

Balance is key for Stacy Monarko. A graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, Stacy also works as the product marketing manager for Vivisimo, an enterprise search software company.

Her duties include driving the company's product strategy, determining market requirements, and improving customer relations.

Stacy credits Allegheny with teaching her to handle a busy schedule. "In completing my comp my senior year while balancing classes and extracurriculars, I learned a lot about time management," she says.

But Stacy's senior comprehensive project gave her more than just time management skills. It was one of the primary reasons Vivisimo hired her. "After reviewing my comp, the CEO of Vivisimo felt that my ability to understand both the technical and business side of software could greatly benefit his company," she recalls. "Not only did my comp help me obtain my first full-time position, it also helped teach me the exact skill set I need to use for my job on a daily basis."

Stacy stresses the importance of strong communication skills instilled by Allegheny. "Employers do not have the resources to teach employees how to write and communicate well," she says.

As she balances her last year of graduate school with a full-time job, Stacy recalls what it was like to be an undergraduate. "I was a computer science and economics major who spent most of my time analyzing numbers and theories," she says. "I think it goes to prove that you never know where your career or graduate work may take you."

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The First Five is a series of profiles celebrating the accomplishments of recent Allegheny College graduates in their first five years as alumni. Read more First Five profiles here.