Cameron Leathers was an Avila STEM scholar and recently graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor’s in computer science. He now works at WellSky in Overland Park as a Support Analyst.
“It’s the world headquarters. We supply medical, at-home personal care software to people all over the nation. I take incoming calls and emails from people troubleshooting their software,” said Leathers.
Did Avila meet your expectations?
I didn’t know what to expect from college. If you had trouble with something, you could go to the professors and talk to them like ordinary people, and they would understand. It felt more like an introduction to being an adult – to what you’ll experience after college. Avila itself was a great community.
What did you enjoy about being a part of Avila?
Avila has a lot of on-campus after-class activities. They always have social activities where you get to interact. These are especially nice for commuter students that don’t get 24/7 on campus. I joined a couple of groups, which made the experience better. I enjoyed getting to hang out with and talk to more people.
Were you involved in any campus communities?
I was on our campus ministry team all four years. I built a relationship with Dave Armstrong. Then through working alongside him, I earned a leadership role. I was the leader of the Spirituality group during my senior year. I communicated when we could do mass and coordinated outings in the community to bolster the Catholic spirit of Avila.
Did you find juggling schoolwork and a part-time job difficult?
I realized I had more time than I thought I did between classwork and my part-time job. That goes back to talking to your professors. They understand that you have a life outside of your classes. You’re still supposed to get homework done, but you can talk to them and figure out – “Hey, can I get extra lab time? Can I get an extension on this?” You realize how to manage your time if you’re involved in multiple extracurriculars and school.
Could you share something you experienced at Avila that impacted your future?
We had a couple of seminars about interviewing and applying for jobs. Those helped me focus on what employers want to hear and what questions I should ask in an interview. It helped me ease into trying to find a job and eventually getting hired somewhere.
What’s a piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
Get out there, talk to people, socialize, and make friends and connections because that has helped me a lot in recent years.