Thomas More College touts education for the mind, body and spirit – helping students become critical thinkers, ethical decision makers, and problem solvers. Tyler Mairose, a senior from Fort Mitchell, Ky., and a

Tyler Mairose & Dr. Bartley Richardson.

Covington Catholic High School graduate, is a living example of this mission. Tyler recently used his problem-solving skills to meet an important need of the TMC community while  saving the College money – all within a short time frame. Students now have a single point-of-reference for all College events, and they have an innovative way to integrate that calendar with their own personal events. The app became available for download at the end of July, with more features to be rolled out in the future. While currently only available for iOS devices, TMCalendar will soon launch on app stores for both Android and Windows mobile devices. The app will be shared with new students during orientation as well as through TMC’s social media accounts, which have a strong student following. “Word of mouth will also be a huge way that people will find out about the app,” says Tyler. Dr. Bartley Richardson, chair of the computer and information sciences department, had this to say about Tyler: “He is a prime example of what students are capable of at TMC and in the computer and information sciences department. We believe it is our responsibility to create an environment where students can take initiatives in areas that interest them. Tyler, having already created the official TMC iOS app, immediately seized this opportunity to use his many talents for the benefit of our TMC community. In an extremely short development period, Tyler has created not only the client app but also a full-featured administrative component that allows us to easily manage and promote events to students, faculty, and staff. As Tyler continues to work on this app once the fall semester begins, additional exciting features will be introduced to our users. All of us in the CIS department are proud of Tyler, his work on this app, and the leadership role he has assumed by mentoring underclassmen.”

TMCalendar app is available to download as an aid to keep up with College events.

“If I got to do this for a job, I’d be ecstatic. I like helping others and creating solutions,” says Tyler. He plans to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems and a minor in Business Administration in May 2015.As part of a well-rounded liberal arts education, Tyler has taken many classes outside of his major. He says that these classes have given him a different perspective and have motivated him toward helping people and making a difference. Tyler attributes much of his success to the small class sizes and personal attention received at Thomas More College. Tyler works with the help desk team for TMC faculty/staff IT issues under the student work study program, an essential part of his scholarship. He provides assistance with printers, phones, and computers 20 hours a week, building his skills through the hands-on experience. “Sometimes I learn more through this experience than in my classes. What you are learning in the classroom comes to life,” says Tyler. In addition to this experiential education, which helps the TMC community directly, Tyler has also completed an internship at Gyro in Cincinnati.

Things to note:

After graduation, Tyler plans to pursue mobile development and web design. TMCalendar is the third app that he has designed as part of his Mobile Development class. Other apps he has designed include iTMC, which includes a campus map, tour, MyTMC email access, and athletics page  (308 downloads so far), and the game app SmileyvsFrowny (19 downloads so far).

Thomas More College added app development to the CIS curriculum in 2009. Since then there have been 1,740 total downloads of the four apps available on the iTunes App store and one app in the Google Play store (Android Marketplace).