Austin Ellingwood ’18 Archon Tech Strategies-This summer has been a whole new experience for me. I was able to begin programming in multiple languages at a new level, I have helped Archon Tech Strategies in ways that I have never been able to before, and I met new people that have taught me lessons that you cannot learn from a book or class.
My boss, Tony Unfried, has been a pleasure to work for in many ways. We share the Wabash experience, so we are able to talk about our own struggles when there is downtime. He demands excellence from his employees, but he rewards them for their time and effort. Tony gave me the opportunity to take a family vacation one week, because I had been working hard and he said I could work an extra week to make up for the off week. Tony rewards hard work in other ways, like giving credit when credit is due.
One of my favorite places to work was in Broad Ripple in a building called “The Speak Easy.” It is a collaborative workspace where there are a number of start-ups beginning their journey Tony gave me the chance to work remotely at times, so I would explore coffee shops and work from there.
One of my favorite memories was actually a blunder by a new hire. We were on the road to see a client about the product. After about an hour of driving, Tony sees a sign that he doesn’t feel is right. He looks at the GPS and he realizes that we’ve been going in the wrong direction for about an hour. As it turns out, the new hire had mistakenly taken a wrong turn. We turned around and spent another 2 hours or so driving, and we eventually arrived at the client, but the whole way there and back, we shared stories and experiences through Wabash and through Tony’s ventures as an entrepreneur. This is one of the most notable memories I have from this summer, because it was very relaxed and fun, while still getting work done.
This summer has been an unforgettable one, and I am looking forward to more experiences like it. I was able to do something I truly enjoy all summer, and I have obtained useful information that will help me for years to come. Tony has provided me with tools to develop my own business someday, and develop my programming skills in the process.
