Mike Pitz: Full Time at The Home Depot
Thursday, February 18, 2021
LAMP students are creative, resilient, and hard-working – and this year is no different.
In our new student feature series, we explore how students have been affected by COVID-19, the related economic crisis, and national political upheaval. Whatever else you can say about 2020+, it certainly hasn’t been “Business as Usual.”
Meet Management + Human Organization student Mike Pitz! Pitz is a senior from Carmel, Indiana with a minor in marketing, and was one of the first students to join the relatively new MHO major track back in 2018. “As a freshman marketing major, I was initially disappointed by 300+ classrooms for all 100-level courses. My academic advisor mentioned that the prestigious Liberal Arts and Management Program was introducing a major. Needless to say, I seized the opportunity and could not be happier with my decision.”
Outside of his academics, Pitz has spent his time at IU involved in numerous extracurricular activities, including as president of Special Olympics IU, as a member of the IU Dance Marathon development team, and as a counselor at Camp Kesem. In doing so, he’s discovered how on- and off-campus involvements can lead naturally to networking opportunities and a career after college. His work with developmentally-challenged youth and health-related organizations, combined with his studies, helped Pitz land a full-time, post-grad position at The Home Depot. He explains: “Two summers ago, I worked as a workplace and homecare professional for a young man with autism during his first job at The Home Depot store #1414. That unique experience, combined with my qualifications as a LAMP student leader, earned me my first internship with THD last summer. Although I was initially going to move to Atlanta and work at the headquarters, COVID led to a beautiful summer in Bloomington and a virtual internship. After a successful summer… I was presented with a full time offer from the THD pricing team.” Pitz will begin his role upon graduation from IU this May.
The pandemic has of course altered life on campus, but Pitz encourages younger students to find creative ways to get involved. As a co-director of Student Life for IU Student Government, he helps run the New Student Organization incubator and is especially eager to support new organizations that “engage with activism or endeavor to mitigate the pandemic’s effects on student mental health.”
For himself, Mike’s own creative outlet and form of self-care this year has been participating in the local band 2 Days Later, as the group’s bassist. The group of five practices almost every day, and the other members are some of his best friends. They have even been able to play a few shows at the Bluebird, in accordance with Bloomington’s COVID-19 guidelines.
Thanks to Mike Pitz for talking to us about his experience! If you are a current LAMP student with an interesting experience to share, feel free to email us at lamp@indiana.edu.
Feature compiled by LAMP staff Laresa Lund.
