Muskegon Community College (MCC) is proud to announce the prestigious recognition of alumnus Megan Olson and current student Christopher Doleshal, who have both recently earned the esteemed title of “Rising Stars” in the technology sector by techchannel.com, a leading industry insider.
Both Olson, currently contributing her expertise at Forta, and Doleshal, a dedicated member of the CU*Answers team, attribute their professional success to their formal training at MCC. They stand out as promising innovators within the IBM i and Power Systems communities, showcasing the college’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of tech talent.
Doleshal said MCC is a pivotal influence in his journey, equipping him with the essential skills to excel in his role at CU* Answers, crafting custom programs and enhancing existing processes for clients and vendors.
“Attending MCC remotely since Fall 2020 has not only deepened my technical knowledge but has also honed my ability to be a better student,” Doleshal said. “The classes impart not only subject matter expertise but also instill valuable time management and prioritization skills, allowing me to strike a healthy balance between academics and other aspects of life.”
Meanwhile, Olson, a full-time mom, emphasized MCC’s role in providing a transformative path to a fulfilling career as she returned to the classroom.
“Muskegon Community College played an (important) role in preparing me for a successful career in technology,” Olson said. “The education I received not only imparted technical skills essential to the industry but also cultivated critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Succeeding in the tech field demands more than just technical proficiency; it requires effective communication and critical thinking – attributes consistently emphasized throughout Muskegon Community College’s courses.”
Muskegon Community College offers over 80 degrees and certificates including many in applied technology areas like welding, engineering, and manufacturing technology. Currently, Michigan Reconnect is making it possible for Michigan residents over the age of 21 to apply for free tuition at Muskegon Community College at www.michigan.gov/reconnect.
See official bios below:
Megan Olson:
For Megan Olson, IBM i was intriguing from the start. “While attaining my degree in software development, I took courses in RPGLE that opened the door into the platform,” she says. “Although I learned various other languages and could have gone to other platforms, I was really drawn into the IBM i community.”
Olson says that at first, simply navigating through the platform was a challenge. “I was so eager to dive in, but it felt like I was trying to navigate with a blindfold on,” she says. “I overcame this by being willing to ask for help, utilizing the great gift of help text and user guides, and staying persistent.”
Now a software engineer at Fortra, Olson is currently leading Fortra’s Powertech Encryption 4.01 release. To do this, she attained Scrum Master certification and took on the Scrum Master role in addition to her engineer role.
Olson was nominated by her N2i mentor, Steve Riedmueller, along with colleagues Tom Huntington, Marie Stangl and Brian Nordland, who say, “From her first days with Fortra, it was apparent that Megan had a desire to learn. While her current job-related learning is around the IBM i, she is pursuing additional advanced degrees. [She’s] proven herself by learning and becoming a critical asset with two of our more prominent products in the IBM marketplace.”
It’s clear Olson is with IBM i for the long haul. “My love for programming and challenges drew me in,” she says. “But it was truly the people in the IBM i community that solidified that as my career path.”
Christopher Doleshal:
Since he was introduced to IBM i in 2019 at CU*Answers, Christopher Doleshal has experienced substantial growth in his career, which is now dedicated to empowering others to explore the platform.
CU*Answers gave Doleshal the opportunity to take four IBM i courses at Muskegon Community College, exposing him to the platform and allowing him to become a junior programmer. Doleshal now works with a team writing custom programs and improving existing processes for clients and vendors.
“I have always wanted to be a programmer, but didn’t feel like it was accessible to me, and working with RPGLE felt natural and spurred my interest further in this platform,” Doleshal says. “I have enjoyed learning new techniques and technologies on [IBM i] and look forward to continuing as my career advances.”
Doleshal has also been actively supporting code modernization at his company.
“At CU*Answers, I’ve been a strong advocate for using free-format code, RDI, SQL and modularization,” Doleshal says. “I also enjoy taking the time to help other developers write more modern code, use a more modern IDE, and generally, produce higher quality code.”
Doleshal has demonstrated his commitment to promoting the platform by tutoring students at Muskegon Community College and teaching a quarterly class at CU*Answers to inform others about how they can access educational IBM i resources.
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