By Janice Phelan,
February 28, 2024
Michael Kraxberger is on the fast track to a successful career after completing his
four-year degree earlier than most other students his age. He took advantate of the
Missouri Innovation Campus academic program.
Graduating high school with an associate degree while gaining technical experience
are among the reasons 欧美视频 2023 graduate Michael Kraxberger
selected UCM鈥檚 nationally recognized Missouri Innovation Campus program.
Kraxberger recently moved to Raleigh, N.C. to work in the Cisco Sales Associate Program
(CSAP). At age 20, he is the youngest in this elite program and among just 11 candidates
accepted from a pool of applicants in the tens of thousands. He works as an associate
systems engineer with this job title changing to associate solutions engineer in the
near future.
A 2021 graduate of Lee鈥檚 Summit High School, Kraxberger chose UCM due to its Missouri
Innovation Campus (MIC) program.
鈥淔inding the opportunity to graduate high school with an associate degree and get
college schooling and technical experience simultaneously really puts you ahead in
your career and enables you to get roles like CSAP,鈥 he said.
Kraxberger, who earned his UCM bachelor鈥檚 degree in software development, also commended
the MIC program鈥檚 three-year, year-round, paid internships 鈥 which are unique to this
accelerated degree model.
鈥淭he opportunity for internship experience in a market saturated with new employees
alongside the ability to become part of a tight-knit community enabled me to succeed
in and out of the classroom,鈥 he added. 鈥淚 made many close friends and I still keep
up with them today.鈥
The MIC professors provide another competitive edge for students enrolled in the program.
鈥淢any of my professors drove all of us in the MIC program to finish strong and provide
excellent work,鈥 Kraxberger said, 鈥渁nd I think that commitment to work ethic is the
biggest takeaway you can receive from a university.鈥
The MIC program has been recognized at the regional and national level for reshaping
the way students experience education and innovation. A partnership between UCM, the
Lee鈥檚 Summit R-7 School District, Metropolitan Community College and close to 70 leading
businesses, the MIC program provides motivated students with career-ready skills while
connecting businesses to a highly trained workforce.
Students enter the MIC program the summer before their junior year in high school
when they begin attending Lee鈥檚 Summit R-7鈥檚 Summit Technology Academy. The students
take college-level classes from UCM and Metropolitan Community College alongside their
high-school courses, earning their high-school diploma and associate degree at the
same time. This places the MIC students on an accelerated pathway to complete their
UCM bachelor鈥檚 degree just two years after high-school graduation.
For more information about the Missouri Innovation Campus program, visit this webpage.