Before Joey Quick transferred to the University of Michigan School of Information, he was a key player at another Ann Arbor institution: Zingerman’s Roadhouse. 

As a lead server and administrator, Quick spent eight years ensuring great service both tableside and behind the scenes. His approach was information driven — he created feedback cards for guests and compiled the data each week. Internally, he facilitated a “service group” where staff could exchange tips for guest service and collaborate to enact organizational change.

It’s no surprise, then, that he chose UMSI for its people-oriented approach. 

“When I spoke to people from UMSI — advisors, students — there was such a personable attitude towards how they went about education,” he says. “I really love the fact that they're into people-oriented solutions and technology — not just, ‘Hey, let’s look at Python and write code.’”

Quick grew up in Ann Arbor and has memories of walking past buildings on the Diag as a child, wondering what was inside. He got his high school diploma at 22 and went on to attend Washtenaw Community College before applying to UMSI.

“It’s super surreal to go to Michigan as a transfer student,” he says. “The transfer cohort community has been amazing because we’re all there for each other. We generally group up together in classes to some degree, and it feels like we participate a lot more in classes, too, in terms of raising our hands and just being vocal.”