Graduate Profile: Don Hoffman
Don Hoffman may have graduated from Alma with a major in biology, but it was Alma’s liberal arts education that steered him toward his true goal — computer engineering.
Now a systems engineer for Dell, Hoffman was taking math and physics his senior year at Alma when he realized he wanted to do something a little different.
Don Hoffman at Dell
“Alma’s liberal arts education gave me an opportunity to explore and was great for my professional development,” the 1997 graduate says.
Working a full-time graveyard position at GM and schooling part-time at Michigan State University, Hoffman finished his second bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in 2000. The DeWitt native was offered a position with Dell in Austin, Tex. during an interview on campus.
“In terms of my career, I got as much from Alma as I did from MSU,” he says. “Besides the technical skills of my job, I have to interact with people and use critical thinking. When I was at Alma I learned those skills well. I was forced to find answers for myself, which made me independent, self-sufficient and confident.”
Hoffman was drawn to Alma by the student-to-faculty ratio and the opportunity to get involved on campus. While at Alma, he was a DJ for campus radio station WQAC, a member of Glee Club and a teaching assistant for chemistry.
“Alma was a very positive experience,” he says. “I really grew as a person and learned how to learn — I wouldn’t have gotten that in any other environment.”
