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IT Student Spotlight: Eileen Kapolnek


One of our very own has been dubbed Queen! That is right, Eileen Kapolnek was crowned Sunday, February 17, as the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Queen for the city of Chicago, Illinois. Eileen was selected from over 115 other contestants. She was chosen by a judging panel that included Chicagoans of Irish heritage.

Eileen will have the honor of being in the Chicago parade, followed by her royal court and all. She will also represent the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee at public events on the day of the parade and throughout the rest of the year.

Furthermore, as queen, Eileen won several gifts, most notably a trip for two to Ireland! To learn more about this IT major and Queen, Eileen graciously answered the following questions about becoming queen and her major, here at Marquette.

Year? Major?
Junior, double majoring in IT and Finance

Hometown?
Park Ridge, IL Ever been to the parade? I've attended the parade in the past, but this was my first time ever attending the contest

What inspired you to join the contest for queen?
My grandparents tell me every year to compete, but every year I'm on spring break and this is the first year I was available to do it. My Irish heritage is something I am so proud of, being that my greatgrandma came over on the Titanic.

What was the selection process like?
There were 115 girls in the contest and all you had to do was send in a picture and a short application before you got a letter telling you about the actual contest. The first round we just stood and smiled, and the second round we went up to the mic and said our names and the school we are attending/ attended. Then they cut it down to 50 girls. After that they just looked at us again, and then cut us down to 20 girls. Once it got to 20 we had the opportunity to try and meet all the 20 judges within about a 5 minute time limit. Then they cut it down to 5.

Have you long had ambitions to one day be queen?
I really had never thought about actually being selected as queen. As soon as I knew I was at least in the court (when they cut it down to 5... 4 in court and then the queen) I was already ecstatic. I didn't think it could get any better for a first timer.

What is the best part of being queen?
I am so excited to be in the parade! I get to be in a horse drawn carriage just like Cinderella. On top of that I get to meet so many people and will be attending many events. And then, the PRIZES!!! The prizes are amazing...I won 2 round trip tickets to Ireland, 2 round trip tickets to anywhere in the US from Southwest Airlines, spending money, Waterford Crystal, a Seiko watch, a beautiful bracelet and so much more..

Have you ever been to Ireland before?
If so, when and what was your favorite part? I visited my cousin in Ireland when I was a freshman in high school for Spring Break. She was studying abroad in Galway. Ireland has such a personality, the different colored houses are so cute and the pubs treat you like you've lived there forever!

What made you choose IT as a major?
IT has been the most gratifying experience so far in my college career. It allows you to be creative and think outside the box. You never have to hold back because there can be twenty different solutions to one problem.

So far, what has been your favorite IT class?
So far it is MANA 120 with Professor Ow because he is an amazing teacher and makes you work hard...but Professor Rau in MANA 121 might give him a run for his money.

Do you have any post-graduation plans? Just hoping to find a great job where I can gain more experience and knowledge in the field. What are your other interests besides IT?
I love to hang out with my friends and family. I volunteer at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission in the nursery and it's so much fun to be able to get away from college kids for a while and spend some time playing with little kids!

Any other comments or fun facts you would like to share with the ITSO Good readers?
I'm planning on spending my entire summer in Ireland, which will be the most amazing experience ever!

- Kimberly Muth

Read more articles in ITSO..GOOD Vol. 1 No. 6

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