St. John’s ACM: The Code For Success in Tech

“There’s a stereotype that goes around that comp sci majors and tech majors in general are known to be anti-social, introverted, locked in their rooms coding all day long,” senior Tomas Santos Yciano, President of the St. John’s chapter of the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM), stated.

In their conversation with The Torch, the members of the ACM e-board made it clear that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Collaboration, mentorship and support are at the center of their organization’s mission.

Vice President, senior Gabriel Paredes emphasized that he specifically “wanted to find a community that is interested in the same field as [him] and build relationships with like-minded people,” when he joined ACM in his sophomore year. Connection among members of their field is the priority for the organization.

Senior Alyssa Meczkowska, ACM’s Social Media Coordinator, shared a similar introductory experience: “I actually became friends with the previous social media coordinator, and she was really welcoming and friendly. I ended up going to a meeting and realized everyone else was also really friendly.”

Lauren Rodriguez, a senior and the Information Officer for ACM, cited the Fireside Chat, a social event that rounds off the fall semester, as an example of the organization’s dedication to building bonds within the tech field.

“It’s like a step away from normalcy where [the members] get to reflect and connect with other members. Being able to network with people in the same field and interests, and getting to sit down and relax is great every year,” she explained.

ACM hosts several events each semester, ranging from their competitive Hackathon (which recently took place from Feb. 7 to 8) to more casual meetups.

Paredes shared that the annual Capture the Flag (CTF), a cybersecurity-focused contest, is his favorite event he has participated in as an ACM member: “It really exposed me to a lot of the cybersecurity environment, especially competition wise. I absolutely love it. We build community based around this fun event.”

He added that this year he is running the event himself, a prospect he is extremely excited about.

Meczkowska echoed Paredes’ sense of enjoyment about CTF, sharing that it was one of the first ACM events she attended: “I realized that I really do like cybersecurity, and I actually joined our competitive cybersecurity team afterwards. It made me realize I like an entire realm of tech I didn’t know I was into before that.”

Santos Yciano also emphasized that ACM opened doors for him that he previously did not consider, especially in terms of career goals. He discovered his recurring internship at consulting company EY through an ACM/Tobin collaboration event his sophomore year, which has reshaped his career goals.

“It’s literally because of ACM that I have that internship. After interning at EY, I’m heavily considering technology consulting as a career path. I’m always going to be grateful for that, and it’s something ACM has done for me,” he explained.

Rodriguez shared a similar story, revealing that “ACM kind of gave [her] first internship.”After winning the 2024 Hackathon, she was able to intern at Headstarter that summer.

“That was the first ever internship I ever got. I got hands-on software engineering experience, which led me to get my second internship the next summer. I treat ACM as the foundation for my growth,” she explained.

Networking, career opportunities and skill building are plentiful in ACM, which tech students would not find from simply attending their classes.

“In ACM, we expose students to a variety of new technologies and skills that you wouldn’t normally see in the classes themselves, which can open many new pathways for them,” Paredes emphasized.

Rodriguez added that mentorship is a major part of her experience at ACM: “Everyone on the e-board is so willing to help anybody who comes into the club. I always want to be for somebody else, the person I wish I had as a freshman or sophomore looking to break into the tech field.”

Meczkowska agreed with the emphasis on mentorship: “I do a lot of machine learning and artificial intelligence, which is what students are interested in now, so I love that I’m able to give them advice. I think it’s great that we can help students with whatever they might need.”

Direct connections with companies are also possible through ACM. Santos Yciano told The Torch that their office visit to Amazon Web Services was especially successful.

“We got the e-board and 25 other ACM members to come with us. It was awesome from all the techy things they showed us, and the office itself was really beautiful,” he described. ACM allows students to get a glimpse into what the tech world is like beyond the classroom.

Rodriguez clarified that ACM is open to students of all majors to gain skills and build connections: “It’s not only for tech majors. Learning these skills will help you advance in the workforce, especially as AI becomes more prevalent. It’s open to everyone, and we try to make it inclusive.”

ACM is a guidepost for those interested in tech, providing both professional and personal resources.

As Santos Yciano explained, “ACM presents members with the opportunity to meet people like them who are going through the exact same thing, and get together, learn and grow together. That’s the biggest part, the community.