Teamwork Runs Through Academics, Sports, and Career

The value of teamwork is a theme that ran through Miles Thompson’s time as a student at Illinois Institute of Technology.

Teamwork certainly was front and center for Thompson at Ekco Pool in Keating Sports Center, where he was a top performer and a captain of the Scarlet Hawks men’s swim team.

For Thompson, teamwork was every bit as important for his academics in college as it was in sports. As a business administration major with a specialization in supply chain management, he took many courses at Stuart School of Business that emphasized project-based learning, with team projects that ran throughout the semester.

“These [projects] appealed to me because they highlight the value of teamwork and planning, like one would expect in a real job,” he says. “I thought they provided a great outlet for us to demonstrate the skills and application of the course material.”

During his last summer as an undergraduate, Thompson was immersed in teamwork, real-world style, during a 10-week internship at Exelon Corporation in Chicago. “Finally getting to put my skills into action was a very rewarding experience,” he says, “and made me excited for what was to come after graduation.”

The internship also paid off with a job offer and Thompson began working as an associate supply business operations specialist at Exelon right after graduation.  

“I think Illinois Tech has done a great job with getting its students comfortable working in teams, often with people you don’t know,” he says. “I love teams because they have the power of holding everyone accountable and they present a feeling of working for each other, rather than just for yourself.”