Burning bright: How Enrollment Management Technology Turns Interns Into Leaders

Humberto "Bert" Messeguer, associate director of technology infrastructure for EMT, and his team have built a student-powered program where interns run real systems, hone their career interests and build a legacy for the next generation.

Every hopeful student who applies to Florida State University passes through a range of systems maintained by Enrollment Management Technology (EMT), which operates within Enrollment Management Operations. EMT supports key university departments, including the Office of Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid, the University Registrar and the FSU Visitor Center.  

What most people don’t know is that behind many of these systems, a team of student interns, hired through the Information Technology Services (ITS) Intern Cohort program, plays an essential role in supporting the business operations and technology systems of these core departments.

"We really heavily rely on our interns and students," said Messeguer. "They are the core pillars of our operations."  

An Orlando native and University of Central Florida graduate, Messeguer moved to Tallahassee during the COVID-19 pandemic and earned a master’s degree in information technology from FSU’s School of Information.

"I basically became a Nole by adoption," he said.  

In his current role, he oversees EMT’s IT security, application security and technology infrastructure teams, develops operational policies and partners with ITS to meet Enrollment Management’s technology needs. He also contributes to long-term technology planning, assists with system modernization and works with EMT’s IT manager to mentor student interns, helping them prepare for careers after graduation.  

Among its core responsibilities, EMT also images and processes documents, such as transcripts, that are submitted to the university and manages security provisioning for employees across campus who access student information.  

For Enrollment Management Operations, EMT’s role is central. “We’re kind of like the heart and soul of a lot of our processes for letting potential students come into the university," Messeguer said. "Our systems and our business operations are relied on across the university."  

EMT keeps about 12 to 15 interns at a time. The number is kept deliberately small so Messeguer and his team can give each student individual attention, including one-on-one time with Messeguer and the team’s IT manager, Steven Barnes. With only six full-time IT staff members employed at EMT, students are responsible for much of the team’s day-to-day operations.  

New interns start with the fundamentals: troubleshooting, customer service and computing support. Messeguer encourages freshmen and sophomores to treat EMT as a "canvas" — a place to experiment and figure out what they want to do, not only during their internships but also in their future careers.  

“In my role as a special projects developer at EMT, I’ve had the chance to contribute to an incredible variety of projects,” said Niko Krinos, junior special projects developer intern. He cited gaining experience with various technologies, such as Bash and Python, as well as publishing public-facing applications used by thousands. “Gaining experience with these different things in such a short amount of time has strengthened my portfolio tenfold and prepared me to go into a computer science career.”

EMT also connects students with industry professionals from companies such as Apple, Raymond James and Raytheon through small-group conversations and organizes campus field trips that allow students to engage with professionals across the university and gain a deeper understanding of university operations.

Seth McKane, a junior special projects developer intern, spoke to the many professional development opportunities that EMT and the ITS Intern Cohort program have provided him. “I saw and participated in the ReliaQuest and CrowdStrike presentations. I visited the ITS RISE showcase, Sliger and many other locations. These skills and experiences have helped me land an internship through the PCI program with Eglin AFB doing AI test engineering,” he said.

As one of the youngest people in his role at FSU, Messeguer believes his energy and passion help him connect with students. Most importantly, he wants interns to feel free to make mistakes and ask questions.

Liana Picone, a junior IT security assistant intern, said the hands-on work sets EMT apart. “The ability to learn and see how the classwork translates to production is such an amazing opportunity most students never get when pursuing their degrees,” she said.  

Messeguer reminds every intern that they are part of something bigger than themselves. When students join his team, he shows them a wall of badges worn by those who came before, a physical record of the community they are entering. When they graduate, each intern adds their own badge to that wall, leaving behind proof of what they built.  

Former interns have gone on to serve in the U.S. Air Force and build successful careers at organizations such as Capital One, Jabil, Deloitte and NASA. Others have taken the skills and experience they gained into fields outside technology, including law and medicine. As alumni accomplishments grow, so does EMT’s legacy.  

The connection doesn't end at graduation. Messeguer checks in with new alumni every few months during their first year, and the team hosts lunches where current and former interns from different "generations" connect.

“The EMT family creates such a positive environment that allows people to flourish,” McKane said.

"It's not me; it's them," Messeguer said. "Our students and past interns — they've created this environment."

That environment is meant to outlast an intern’s time at EMT. Messeguer wants to keep finding new ways for students to shape the systems they help run and to carry that confidence with them when they leave.  

"I personally want to burn as bright as the sun, because if I do, then it hopefully inspires and attracts other students that have that potential to burn brighter and stronger than I did," he said.  

From Messeguer’s perspective, flourishing starts from within. He tells his interns the same thing he believes about himself: be the start of your own universe.