They say you never stop learning, and nor should you. Collin has been a dedicated lifelong lover of learning. In 2003 at the age of 16 he began attending Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minnesota via his school’s post secondary program, attending for two years until his graduation from high school in 2005. During this time he developed a passion for computers and technology, which led him to apply and be accepted at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago Illinois. This was a very eye opening experience, during which his love of technology and experience with linux and other operating systems grew.
In fall of 2006 he transferred to the University of Wisconsin campus in Superior, Wisconsin. While in attendance he took part in several events, as well as serving as the assistant to the department head of the Women and Gender Studies department for several years. During these three years he also became involved in student organizations, in particular the Queer and Allied Student Union. He spent three years on its board, first as an officer and the later two as the organization’s president, during which time he expanded the student budget, membership, and the number of supporting activities. In addition, he worked with student government on a select set of projects, and assisted in the planning of three on-campus concerts.
Collin graduated from UW-Superior in 2009, obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Comprehensive Computer Sciences and minors in Mathematics and International Peace Studies. Topics of experience and study for computers included operating system design, assembly level programming, cryptography and cryptology, database design and normalization, algorithmic efficiency, and network security. Mathematics topics focused on theoretical mathematics and proofs, while international peace studies focused on conflict resolution and studies of modern political institutions.