As a senior majoring in computer science, Banu ignited his career with an internship at Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City, Utah. His performance led to a position with the company as a software engineer immediately after graduation. Banu advises that defining the reasons you are passionate about your work and determining what you hope to contribute can make a big difference in preparing for your career. 

“Your ‘why’ will give you purpose, and more fuel to go the distance in tough times,” he said. That idea resonates with many who believe that success in STEM fields is in part dependent on a person’s resiliency and ability to work through difficult problems. As a testament to that theory, Banu is proud of his ability to “fail-forward to succeed.” 

During his internship, Banu worked alongside the best students in his field, from some of the top schools in the country. He said that while all the interns were technically skilled, he was able to stand out for his ability to communicate effectively with company leaders and for working well in groups — skills his education at IC helped him develop. 

“Liberal arts at IC has given me exposure to a wide range of fields that allows me to connect with others and think unconventionally,” he said. A native of Nigeria, Banu was far from any family while at IC, but he found support by joining Phi Alpha literary society where his fellow members soon became like brothers to him. That experience also helped him further develop his abilities beyond the classroom. 

“The productions each semester developed those communication skills, and that is currently one of my most noticeable strengths at work — the ability to articulate thoughts and to argue analytically,” he said.
 

“I attribute a lot to the jobs that I worked as a student at IC,” he said. “Of course, academics are important and played a big factor, but I also developed skills serving in leadership roles on campus.”

Today, Long is a product development manager at LRS Retirement Solutions, a division of Levi, Ray & Shoup Inc. in Springfield, where he has worked since graduating from Illinois College. He knows it’s become rare for people to stay with one company throughout their careers, and the accomplishment is one of the aspects of his career he is most proud of. 

“Far gone are the days where people work for one employer their entire career, especially in a field as evolving and competitive as information technology,” he said. “I’m very fortunate to have an accomplished career at a company that I’m proud of, and that continues to keep me challenged and recognizes my value.” 

Beyond preparing him for his career, Long says the relationships he cultivated at IC have had the biggest impact on his life after graduation. Long recalls IC as his “first home away from home,” and says he made lifelong friendships living in Gardner Hall, among his Sig brothers as a member of Sigma Pi literary society and among the tight knit community of students, staff and faculty. He also fondly recalls meeting his wife of 15 years, Jessica Castlebury Long ’02 as having the “biggest impact of all.” They have been married for 15 years and have two young children.