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At Taylor, Computer Science is about empowering creative problem solvers who love God and live Christ-centered lives. Faculty teach students how to work with and adapt to new technology while still being true to their faith in the process. This is incredibly important in the everyday life of Nathaniel Katzenberger ’18. Katzenberger currently works at Microsoft as a software engineer for Office 365.
“I initially started my college career at a small school in Washington, but quickly realized that I needed and desired to be within a Christian community,” Katzenberger said. “Immediately after visiting Taylor and talking to Dr. White of the Computer Science & Engineering Department, I knew that it was where God was calling me to be.”
After Katzenberger transferred to Taylor University, he fell in love with the community and never looked back. Not only did the Computer Science Department set him up for success academically, the Christian discipleship-focused community helped shape him for success in his spiritual life as well.
“The emphasis on faith and learning was truly foundational in shaping me into who I am today. In terms of education, the Computer Science professors at Taylor were absolutely incredible. Not only were they some of the smartest individuals I’ve ever met, but they also truly cared about their students. I was consistently blown away by how frequently they went the extra mile to ensure that every student was given the opportunity to succeed,” Katzenberger said.
Katzenberger originally started working for Microsoft Inc. by pure coincidence. While looking for a summer internship during his junior year, he agreed to help a small company in Bellevue, WA. However, God had different plans.
“Just a few weeks prior to my start date, the company was acquired by Microsoft which put my summer into question,” Katzenberger said. “Despite the change in ownership, my internship was permitted to continue with the caveat that I would be unable to directly return to Microsoft upon completion.”
After graduation, Katzenberger went through the general interview pool to finally get his position at Microsoft. It required a lot of work and patience for him to finally receive the position he is in now. However, God led him forward and put him in a position with the company.
The Fortune 500 company, Microsoft Inc. has long been one of the biggest companies in the world. Not only is their Windows system used on most computers in the world, but their Office 365 software has also become standard in many different industries.
“Our team is primarily responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the systems which allow Office 365 software to be developed and delivered at a global scale,” Katzenberger said.
Office 365 is in more than 246 markets worldwide, and has been translated into 44 languages. A task like this could easily overtake someone’s life, but thanks to Taylor’s focus on Christ-centered living, Katzenberger keeps his eyes on what really matters.
“My education at Taylor was absolutely critical to my personal development,” Katzenberger said. “Not only did it help me acquire the skills necessary for my career, but more importantly provided an environment where I could be challenged in my faith and grow in Christ.”
Taylor gave him the tools to do his job and a community to foster his growth in Christ. Now, Katzenberger can continue to focus on growing in Christ and letting God guide him where he is meant to go.
In addition to helping students find outstanding internship opportunities, Computer Science & Engineering provides a ton of hands-on experience including working on satellites, competing in GameJam, building, programming, and flying drones, and carrying out cybersecurity work for defense contractors. Schedule your campus visit today to see it all in action.