Where can your curiosity take you? For Aidan Dyga β26, his natural curiosity landed him a software engineering position at Microsoft.Β
He credits, in part, his unusual combination of a computer science major and economics minor for his success.Β
βI think that ΄σΟσΚΣΖ΅ was a great place for me because I was required to minor in a category outside of my major. This helped encourage me to explore both of my interests,β says Dyga.
One of the most impactful courses Dyga took as a student was software engineering with Gregory Kapfhammer, associate professor of computer and information science. The class taught him communication skills and real-world project management as the students collaborated to solve problems.
Dyga concurrently played on the during his time as a student, earning him the 2026 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the Presidentβs Athletic Conference.Β
After long and mentally demanding days in the classroom, being able to go outdoors and challenge myself physically was a great way to balance my college experience,β reflects Dyga. β…playing collegiate soccer at ΄σΟσΚΣΖ΅ was one of the best decisions I ever made. Being an athlete also brought me so many friends and helped me build great relationships.
Dygaβs curiosity in the classroom gave him the confidence to work as a software engineering intern at Microsoft in 2025, leading him to an offer to join their team full-time in Pittsburgh after graduation.
He advises current students to β…seek out coding projects that genuinely interest you and involve collaboration. When you care about what you’re building, you’ll work harder and learn more. Beyond the technical side, I also think that a lot of good software design depends on teamwork. I fundamentally believe that code gets better when people with different perspectives work on it together.β
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