by Niki Acton '16

Housed in a sprawling headquarters in Verona, Wisconsin, Epic Systems is home to many Knox alumni. This industry leader in healthcare software development continues to look to Knox for the quality employees they seek. Epic welcomed four more Knox graduates this year. John Cuisimano '13, Nathan Johlas '14, Ben Moss '14, and Charles Megenity '14 joined Epic's team in a variety of positions.

"Epic looks for candidates who can think outside the box, who can think critically and solve problems," says Terrie Saline, director of the Bastian Family Career Center. "This is exactly what Knox teaches, so it's a good match for our students."

Ann O'Leary, who works in Human Resources at Epic, agrees: "Epic values the well-rounded liberal arts education students receive at Knox College, and actively recruits students majoring in everything from Classics to Computer Science."

Adam Whitlatch ‘06 is one of the alumni who has found a home at Epic. As a software developer, he oversees the entire lifecycle of software, from immersing himself in the day to day operation of medical organizations, to creating designs, to coding the programs, and finally improving software that is already in use.

"I use the fundamentals of computer science on a daily basis -- fundamentals I learned at Knox," says Whitlatch. "Through my other academic work, I simply learned how to learn. It's an important skill in the tech world, as you never stop learning."

According to Whitlatch, the exams Epic administers during the hiring process focus on logic and critical thinking. "These are the things a liberal arts education primes you for," says Whitlatch.

Whitlatch heard about Epic while he was still at Knox, but didn't pay much attention to the company until they began recruiting him, as they have many other Knox graduates. (Above, an Epic representative meets with a current Knox student.)

"We initially learned of Epic through our consortium, Illinois Small College Placement Association (ISCPA)" says Saline. "They started attending our annual job fair and the relationship just built from there."

Ben Moss, economics major, will become a member of Epic's Quality Assurance team. "From my perspective, Epic is making a bigger impact on healthcare than any other organization in the country," says Moss.

Nathan Johlas spent the summer of 2013 as an intern at Epic, a position he heard about through an Epic representative at Knox. When he was offered a full-time position as a software developer at the end of the summer, he immediately took the job.

"The Knox community helped instill in me several qualities that fit in with the work atmosphere at Epic," says Johlas, who majored in mathematics at Knox. "A commitment to doing good in the world, the opinion that every voice matters, and the ability to have fun while getting serious work done."

The Bastian Family Career Center is instrumental in helping students in the process of career development. "Our office tries to begin working with students during their first year," says Saline. "We offer self-assessment tools that help students learn more about their strengths and weaknesses."

Of 2012 graduates, 95% are employed or in grad school. According to Saline, Knox graduates are given an edge in their professional fields due to their liberal arts background.

"At Knox, we provide programs that are both personally interesting and professionally relevant to several disciplines," says Saline. " In doing so, this increases students' abilities to think and to communicate clearly. These two skills vastly improve their employment opportunities."