Timm Hagen

Tell us about yourself and your Ridgewater Experience
When I was working at HTI on the night shift I knew that I didn’t want that to be my work life, so with my first child coming soon I started looking at college options. Since Ridgewater had a campus in Hutchinson and with HTI offering tuition reimbursement, it was the natural choice to see what they had to offer. I have always had an interest in computers and spent many extra hours in the computer lab playing around with them in various aspects while in high school at Crystal River High School in Crystal River, FL. I looked into the Computer Systems Technology program and found it to peak my interests. I quickly switch into the programming track and fast forward 20 years after graduation in May of 2000, I am now a Full Stack Developer Consultant who has worked at various clients like General Mills, Starkey Labs, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Polaris and many, many others. I am still connected to Ridgewater as part of the Advisory Board for the CST program and have been the past 10 yrs. Also my son who is a senior at Hutchinson High School is enrolled in the CST program as a PSEO student, so I will be connected in that way too.

Why did you choose Ridgewater College?
Since Ridgewater had a campus in Hutchinson and with HTI offering tuition reimbursement, it was the natural choice to see what they had to offer. I have always had an interest in computers and spent many extra hours in the computer lab playing around with them in various aspects while in high school at Crystal River High School in Crystal River, FL. I looked into the Computer Systems Technology program and found it to peak my interests.

What advice would you give to current and prospective students?
I would give students the advice of “Start Anywhere”…anywhere in life, whether young or old….anywhere in classes, what peaks your interests. I have always said the hardest part of going back to school is signing the dotted line that commits you to school. You can always find excuses of not sure what I want to go to school for, but if you start anywhere you will find a niche that fits you.