Alumni Spotlights
Class president and 2019 graduate Daniel Olszewski was back at Carroll College this week. Olszewski was accompanying Dr. Patrick Traynor, a professor of cybersecurity at the University of Florida, for his talk titled “Humans vs The Computer Interfaces: The Challenge of Separating Deepfakes/Bots from People.” After graduating from Carroll in 2019 with a triple major in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Data Science, Olszewski is now working towards his PhD in Computer Science at the University of Florida, where he works on cutting edge research to address modern security issues.
Born in Texas, Olszewski moved to Kalispell, Montana as a child with his family. His parents and older siblings all attended Carroll, and he says that “Carroll already felt like family” before he had even decided to attend. Olszewski describes his time at Carroll as integrative but challenging, saying that “The professors always pushed their students to do more, but they supported us every step of the way.” Olszewski was inspired by the faculty at Carroll long before he became a student, and that inspiration continued throughout his years here.
One of the faculty members who inspired Olszewski was Kim Shire, the Director of Theatrical production during Olszewski’s time at Carroll. While much of Olszewski’s time was spent studying and working toward his three majors, he found a creative outlet in Carroll’s theater program. His older brother was involved and encouraged him to audition. When he did, Olszewski found an open, kind, caring, and challenging environment. Being new to the theatrical world, Olszewski was given the opportunity to “find appreciation for an art I had no experience in.” Olszewski was involved in the theater program throughout his time at Carroll, stating that his role in the 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee was a particular highlight because it included improv and interaction with the audience. Olszewski was also involved in off campus theater productions at Helena’s Grandstreet Theatre.
In addition to his side-gig as an actor, Olszewski was also involved in mathematics competitions at Carroll. He fondly remembers competing in the International Mathematics Modeling Competition, which was an annual multi-day competition in which contestants were challenged to solve real-life mathematical problems. He recalls how the younger students would spend the week sleeping in their allotted classrooms, while the upperclassmen were wise enough to return home for a few hours every night.
It was through these extracurricular activities, as well as through academics, that Daniel Olszewski feels that Carroll prepared him for his future studies at the University of Florida. Olszewski says that he “can’t emphasize enough” how strong the math and computer science courses are at Carroll. He was able to build a strong background in mathematics, which became a solid foundation for his other fields of study. He also credits Carroll’s unique teaching strategy of preparing students to solve real world problems for his ability to succeed at the University of Florida, stating that “Carroll made me feel comfortable and confident that I had the necessary skills to go into grad-level classes.”
Olszewski is also dedicated to ensuring that as many Carroll students as possible are able to attend top graduate programs. “There is so much untapped talent and potential in Montana,” he says. A goal that both Olszewski and the University of Florida share is to get more students from Montana, and specifically from Carroll, into their graduate and PhD programs in the hopes that these students can later take their skills and experiences back to their communities.
For students who may be interested in pursuing this path, Olszewski has the following advice: “Take a math class. It really isn’t as daunting as it seems.” He also encourages students to learn basic computer skills, or to even try their hand at a computer science course. “The world is becoming computers,” Olszewski says, adding that there are many job opportunities in the sector, especially in cybersecurity.
Olszewski was excited to be back at Carroll for the 2024 Homecoming and Family Weekend. He was able to catch up with alumni at the Alumni and Parent tailgate and cheer on the Saints Football team. He also took the opportunity to speak with current students about post graduation options, encouraging them to seek out their full potential in their given fields.
To hear more from Daniel Olszewski - check out episode #88 - The Cutting Edge of the podcast Big Sky, Small World by the Carroll College Communications Center.