A recent Daniels alum turned career coaching and faculty guidance into a role keeping rocket missions on schedule and on budget.
Danny Stevinson
Just weeks after graduating from the Daniels College of Business, Danny Stevinson (BSBA 2026) was helping track something considerably more complicated than a class deadline: the production schedule of a rocket.
Although the opportunity arrived quickly, Stevinson said it grew from years of preparation at Daniels.
“It’s an entry-level role, but it’s very complicated, and I’m given a lot of responsibility—which is really fun,” Stevinson said.
The job hunt begins
Stevinson entered his senior year at University of Denver like many soon-to-be college graduates: deeply focused on the job hunt ahead. He wanted an analyst position, ideally in Colorado, but soon felt discouraged by the sheer volume of online applications, with no word back. He described feeling “application paralysis,” like the odds were stacked against him.
“I knew when I got an interview that I would have a much higher chance of getting a job,” said Stevinson, who graduated with a degree in business information and analytics. “For me, it was just about getting to the interview.”
Danny knew the advisors at Daniels Career Services because he worked at the front desk of the Student Success Center throughout college, but as senior year went on, he realized he needed to be more intentional to use the resources available to him.
Career fair preparation
He scheduled an appointment with Lynn Rooney, director of career services, and, as luck would have it, she informed him the Colorado Business School Career Fair was happening later that very day.
Rooney helped him research participating employers, create a priority list of who he wanted to talk to, prepare printed resumes and formulate his personal introduction. He placed Denver International Airport near the top of his list of preferred employers and met a representative on site. Following Rooney’s advice, he applied immediately to the paid internship and then followed up directly with the DIA employee he had met. He secured the internship.
The DIA internship program coordinator later told him she remembered Stevinson from that career fair, and moved his name to the top of the candidate list after he reached out.
“If I hadn’t gotten that advice from Lynn, I wouldn’t have done things as well as I did,” Stevinson said.
When it comes to success at a career fair, “preparation is key,” Rooney said. “Students should have a clear idea of who they want to talk to, do a little research and then be the one who follows up.”
Daniels is teaching students how to navigate the ever-changing world of the job search. Employers may receive hundreds of applications for a single job listing, especially as AI and one-click applications make it easier to apply broadly. Career fairs allow employers to put a name, a face and a conversation to an application.
“When students show up with that human element—saying, ‘I did some research, I’m excited you’re here, and I’m going to follow up afterward’—that makes a huge difference for employers,” Rooney said.
Guidance from faculty
Stevinson’s next step was acting on advice he received through the Daniels Professional Development Program (DPDP), a required, zero-credit course that teaches students the ins and outs of building resumes, optimizing LinkedIn profiles and preparing for interviews.
He created job alerts for companies that interested him, which is how he came across a posting for a full-time schedule analyst role at United Launch Alliance .
One preferred qualification listed in the job description caught his eye: experience with earned value management, a project management method used to assess schedule and cost performance. Stevinson recognized it from his required Project Management and Simulation course that he took at DU.
He reached out to the professor, Aaron Rottman, who quickly met with Stevinson over Zoom, revisited relevant course materials and helped Stevinson identify a final project he could discuss during the interview.
During his United Launch Alliance panel interview, Stevinson explained his experience with earned value management, critical paths and schedule analysis. He recalls his interviewers seemed surprised that an entry-level candidate already understood those concepts.
“I could see in [the interviewers’] eyes that they were thinking, ‘OK, he knows these things,’” Stevinson said. “Now that I’m in the job, it’s all about critical paths, negative float resolution and earned value—things we learned in that class.”
Stevinson’s managers at United Launch Alliance later told him two things kept him at the top of their list: his strong interview skills and his data and Excel background. His project management knowledge strengthened the match.
Stevinson also credits the LinkedIn advice and resume templates he received from DPDP for helping him stand out in a crowded field of applicants.
After a brief stint at DIA, Stevinson took the full-time role at United Launch Alliance.
The Daniels Effect at work
Daniels created the infrastructure that led to his post-graduate success, but Stevinson actively took advantage of it. He met with Career Services, attended the career fair, researched employers, followed up, set job alerts and even contacted a professor to prepare thoroughly for his job interview.
That’s The Daniels Effect: abundant opportunity to connect with industry professionals, staff who are there to support, faculty who build meaningful relationships with their students, and the tools to channel them into a meaningful career.
“Once I saw that door was opening,” Stevinson said, “I put all of my weight and effort into pushing it open.”