Department of Computer Science - Meet Justin

Though Justin ’24 graduated last year, he still has a strong presence on Hope’s campus.

“I helped lead the team that created ImHere. Dr. Ryan McFall is actively using the app to streamline how he takes attendance for his classes. I continue to support by performing bug fixes and project architecture discussion,” he explained.

Before he came to Hope from Naperville, Ill., Justin was interested in computer science. By the time he graduated, he had fallen in love with the discipline thanks to his professors and friends.

“This journey culminated in my senior capstone project. I was able to devote an enormous amount of effort to use all of the skills I had learned at Hope,” he said. “Without the broad depth of knowledge I gained in the classroom, the team I co-captained to help create ImHere, would not have been rewarded with the same level of success we enjoyed.”

Justin firmly believes he was able to strongly contribute to his professional, post-Hope work on day one because of this project, something that has motivated him to give back.

Now that he has some experience as a professional developer, he plans on helping current Hope students hone ImHere or other applications so that they can enter the workforce even more prepared than he was.

Thanks to the well rounded excellence of the computer science department, Justin easily reached his goal to be hired by Vervint, a Grand Rapids-based technology consulting firm.

He also credits Dr. McFall with his success. “As I navigated my college years I had to change from being purely interested in athletics to becoming fully invested in my education,” he explained. “Each step of the way Dr. McFall was there to help guide me.”

“My senior capstone project was the perfect catalyst to propel me forward in my professional career. While it was due to my own diligence, without Dr. McFall I wouldn't have had the opportunity to grow and excel. The way he structured every class with care made it easy to do,” he added.

He’s thankful for department donors like you. “I’ve thought about generosity a lot,” he said. “I will forever be indebted to my teachers, mentors and coaches who put so much of their life towards making mine better. All I can do now is to share their lessons in a way that would make them proud. Thank you for making me a piece of your life’s work.”

Today, on Day of Giving, will you include Hope’s computer science students in your life’s work?

All gifts made today will support HSI, the department's real-world software development experience. You can maximize your impact on Day of Giving. Thanks to an anonymous donor, all gifts to HSI will be matched (up to $2,500).