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Fall 2015 Commencement Profile: Denise Kutnick

Denise Kutnick doesn’t have to worry about finding a job after she graduates. She’s already landed her dream job as a design engineer at Intel Corporation.

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Denise Kutnick doesn’t have to worry about finding a job after she graduates. She’s already landed her dream job as a design engineer at Intel Corporation. She’s also just 17 years old. Kutnick will walk across the stage on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 1 p.m. with a degree in computer science.

Growing up in Boca Raton, Kutnick says her love for computers began when a middle school teacher taught her HyperText Markup Language (HTML), which is used to create webpages. She knew she wanted to continue studying computing in high school, and 91���� High quickly became her top choice.

“They had a high school fair at my middle school, and 91���� High sold me,” she said. “Many other schools were writing-focused, but 91���� High had the science and technology programs I was looking for.”

In the fall of 2013, while still attending 91���� High, Kutnick became a full-time student at 91����.  She quickly excelled in her computer science courses, and was inspired by several professors, including Lofton Bullard, Ph.D., a senior instructor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“Denise has the mental ability and technical skills to become a stellar researcher in the field of computer science,” said Bullard. “She is an excellent student, leader, researcher, and mentor who has inspired me and many others.”

Kutnick said she enjoyed Bullard’s class because it promoted thought-provoking discussions.

“These discussions sparked the interest of everybody in the classroom,” she said.

After graduating high school in May, and then finishing up 91����’s rigorous computer science program, Kutnick began looking for internships. Intel came to campus to conduct on-the-spot interviews, and Kutnick landed a summer spot at Intel’s Fort Collins, Colo. facility, serving as a component design engineer with a team to design computer chips. Before she returned for her last semester at 91����, Intel offered her a full-time job, and she will to relocate to Colorado permanently following graduation.

“I really appreciate the experience I had at 91����,” she said. “It provided me a path that led me to where I am right now.”

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Tags: students | alumni | technology