by Hannah Voss :

It is a pleasure to introduce to you our Summer Fellow, Andre Dion Allen, Jr. Andre is serving as the Information Technology Intern at Catholic Cemeteries Association.

Andre is currently at Notre Dame College majoring in Management Information Systems and minoring in Marketing. He was drawn to the Summer Fellows program when he was told about the program by his advisor and teacher at Notre Dame. He was looking for an internship and CCC was providing that opportunity for him.
As an Information Technology Intern, Andre is assigned to complete all projects to the best of his ability. Examples of these projects include “updating network switches, PCs, doing inventory, creating an IRP, and more.” Andre says his supervisor, Andrew Babic, “was always available to answer questions and allowed me to gain a multitude of experiences.” Before updating the switches, Andre traveled with his supervisor to a different office. There he explained how the switches worked. “He later made suggestions, a video call, and remoted into my PC to help me begin the process of my task.”

Andre said that “it was a positive experience” that he had with his mentor, Aaron Poklar. Aside from his projects, Andre’s mentor allowed and supported his personal development with opportunities such as a virtual training for a certification. “The insight gained was to always evolve as an individual or in your field.”

Andre has enjoyed the daily interactions with the staff at Calvary. They were all friendly and welcoming. “I learned a lot from them as well.” The biggest growing experience for Andre has been gaining a better understanding of the tech industry. His most memorable moment was when he finally figured out how to update a network switch with a “TFTP server.” “I did it all with no help or prior experience.” Andre had to research and figure it out all on his own. It took about 2-3 hours, but he was proud of himself when it was completed. “I learned a lot during that process. I also will remember the farewell lunch at a restaurant with a few of my coworkers.”

Andre said he learned that the organization is efficient, and lenient based on the amount of trust that they have in their employees. There are many employees who have been working for the organization for many years that genuinely enjoy working for the company. “Employees choosing to work for a company for so long is a positive reflection of the company.” The people in superior positions are respected and good at their jobs. “The company is thriving, constantly evolving, and will continue to do so in the future.”

In the future, Andre hopes to improve in maintaining and developing new relationships between people or corporations. “All of this is an effort to gain a strong network. He wants to continue growing his level of professionalism as well as his skills in the field to become more valuable in the future.

Ms. Hannah Voss is currently a Counseling and Art Therapy Graduate student at Ursuline College, and will be graduating this December. She is the worship leader at her church in Cleveland called Cove City Church. Hanna volunteers with RAHAB Ministries in Cleveland where a Ministry group goes into the clubs and shows the love of Jesus to the women working there. She also leads a bible study on Friday nights at Cove and loves diving into The Word!
“I am a complete nerd who loves Jesus! Star Wars, Marvel, and Lord of the Rings are my favorite! You will always find me with something lavender in color; it’s my favorite. In college I played DII volleyball an also coached at the club and high school level. I am married to Ethan and “I am an enneagram 2; I love personality tests.” Hanna wrote and held the reflection sessions for the Fellows on Fridays as part of the 2022 Summer Fellows program.