Donovan Lowkeen
- Lead Software Engineer
- Booz Allen Hamilton
School Information
School: University of California, Irvine
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2011 to 2012
Career Information
Working For: Booz Allen Hamilton
Title: Lead Software Engineer
Industry: IT
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
I am a lead software engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton, a global consulting firm that provides technology solutions to government and commercial clients. As a self-proclaimed polyglot technologist, I code across the tech stack using Node.js, Golang, Python, and Kubernetes, and I lead a team of talented engineers in delivering high-quality software products that meet the client’s needs and expectations. I am also a software engineering mentor at MentorCruise, an online platform that connects mentors and mentees in the tech industry. I have been recognized as one of the “Top Mentors” on the platform, having mentored over 20 individuals with various backgrounds and goals. I enjoy helping others learn, grow, and achieve their career aspirations, as well as sharing my passion for continuous learning, people, and problem-solving.
What Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?Getting a 75k management position straight out of college while my friends are taking their degrees to Jamba Juice and complaining about not finding a job.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
As a College Works Painting District Manager, I’m constantly interacting with suppliers, employees, or customers. College Works Painting helped me learn how to understand every type of person. There’s a difference between talking with people and understanding/reading people and CWP helped me master that.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
My College Works Painting experience was one of the biggest things recruiters mention about my resume.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
Don’t quit, just problem solve. As a college student, people are used to others figuring out their problems for them. In the real world, if you don’t fix your own problems you get fired.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Potential College Works Painting participants: make sure this is something you really want to do. Current College Works Painting participants: spend extra time practicing your estimates. Don’t let the actual estimate be the only time you work on your sales presentation.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
Don’t be one of those people that makes an excuse for everything.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
Brian Moaddeli dancing on a table. But in all seriousness… Meeting like-minded friends. It’s tough to find friends who are talented, motivated individuals but when you do it makes life much more fun. I met one of my best friends in College Works Painting.
Last words of wisdom?
If you want to be the best, what are you doing today that will get you to that point in the future?