Great Starts: Dominic Lagona ’26

Dominic Lagona ’26 

Computer science major 
Risk advisory consultant at Baker Tilly in Milwaukee

What skills from your coursework are you most excited to apply in your new role?

I’d say critical thinking. It’s something I really enjoy and got good at from being a computer science major. And problem solving. That was pretty much the basis of my computer science classes. You’re given a project and have to figure out how to get to the end goal, solving problems along the way.

What led you to your path in computer science?

Coming into my freshman year, I was initially a data analytics major. And then I took my first computer science class sophomore year, and I really, really liked it. So I decided to switch my major. Artificial Intelligence (AI) was my favorite class. It introduced us to large language models (LLMs) and the different use cases for AI.

How did playing soccer impact your experience at SNC?

In terms of keeping me focused and on task, soccer was very important. Always being on the go makes it easy to focus on what you should be focusing on. The sense of community and moving to campus with 28 built-in friends as a freshman was also really nice. 

Has your education prepared you to be successful after graduation? How so? 

I’d definitely say so. When I talked about learning to problem-solve, that’s something that will apply not just to my job, but to every aspect of my life.

What advice would you give to an incoming student at St. Norbert College? 

Put yourself outside your comfort zone. It’s very easy to just stay in your lane and keep on doing what you were doing in high school. But you meet so many people in college, and you’ll never be around so many different people again in your life. Figure out what you really enjoy doing and what you don’t. Outside of soccer, I joined the Snowboard and Ski Club, Chess Club and Economics Society.