Crash Course in Confidence 

When Qili Sui looks at the person she was before joining Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program and the person she is today, the biggest difference she sees can be summed up in one word: Confidence.  

Sui (MSIT '22) joined the program as a part-time student in September 2020 while working full-time as adeveloper for Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD), a school for Pre-K through 12th-grade students who are academically gifted. After graduation she remained at CTD, where she continues to apply the lessons she learned in MSIT — including the ones that had nothing to do with information technology. 

“Before (MSIT), I was very bad at presentations and public speaking,” she said. “After the  high-frequency training in the MSIT classes, my confidence level is elevated.”   

That confidence has led to noticeable changes. Sui said she is a more active participant and presenter in weekly staff training sessions, during which she and other team members share their knowledge with their colleagues.  

She also has noticed a difference in how the things she presents and the opinions she offers resonate with her colleagues.  

“My professional opinion and input are more valued now,” she said. “I’ve improved in communication and presenting my opinion after practicing problem solving in various MSIT courses’ case studies.”  

MSIT also helped Sui become more of a leader. Before her time in the program, she saw herself as someone who did what she was asked, even if it seemed like there might be a better solution or opportunity. Thanks to her time in MSIT, she now feels comfortable voicing her opinion and offering improvement recommendations as they come up.  

Sui learned more than soft skills, though. This past summer, when a programming language for a piece of software key to CTD’s operation became obsolete, she and her colleagues needed to come up with a replacement solution.  

That’s when Sui thought of the capstone course and her project in enterprise software architecture.  

“That helped me significantly,” she said. “I was trained to not be afraid of a problem like this.  Without fear, we drew blueprints to replace the old architecture, just like I was working with my study group.”  

Leaning on her study group was key to helping Sui learn how to work well with people from different backgrounds who have varying communication styles and approaches to problem solving. Those skills were vital during the software replacement project, she said.  

CTD leadership approved the team’s solution this fall and is in the process of implementing it.  

Because of how MSIT changed Sui’s career trajectory, she has become an advocate to students looking for a similar boost in technical skills and confidence. Her advice?    

“Care less about grades,” she said. “Enjoy the process of learning from professors and peers for not only knowledge but everything else you observe, such as ways of thinking, perspectives, and personal and professional styles.”