My name is Jordan Long and I’m a musician from Michigan.
In 2009, I moved to North Carolina to attend Duke University.
While in school, I studied music and chemistry with aspirations of becoming a doctor. However, my aspirations have changed. The following is a summary of my journey.

As a student-athlete, my life was extremely structured throughout college.  I worked hard to achieve my academic and athletic goals. I followed the rigorous pre-medicine curriculum throughout my four years at Duke, all while fulfilling the requirements as an active diver on the Duke Swimming and Diving Team. As a diver, I was not only individually motivated, I also wanted my team to excel.  During my senior year, my team recognized my leadership skills and voted me as team captain.  My coaches recognized my hard work and awarded me the “Above and Beyond” award for exceeding the expectations of the program in dedication, work ethic, commitment, and performance. Academically, I had just a few more science classes to complete before it was time to take the MCAT and apply for medical school, but I began to have doubts this was my true passion and became unsure of my career aspirations. 

I decided I needed to take some time to really figure out what I wanted to do, and to work to support myself for a while. From an early age, I have had an interest in technology, and was therefore fortunate to get a job supporting the IT Industry as a technical recruiter, which has allowed me to more fully understand the myriad of opportunities within this field.   I began teaching myself how to use additional various software, and in my leisure time away from my job, I continued to pursue my musical interests.

As a classically trained pianist from the age of 5, I have grown to appreciate the formal training I received. However, I have always looked for a creative application of information and knowledge beyond the music notes in front of me. As a result, I began improvising and composing junior works. I was constantly looking for an intersection between music and technology, and once I had access to a variety of music software, I started taking composition more seriously. And as my technical skills advanced, I was able to combine my musical skills into a variety of applications. 

 I have gained a lot of experience throughout this journey. 
As a student, I gained significant academic knowledge and an ongoing eagerness to learn, paired with   excellent problem solving skills. 
As a diver, I developed the ability to persevere and strive toward perfection. 
As a diving coach, I learned to observe each athlete and communicate my knowledge in order to efficiently critique and encourage another’s performance. 
As a piano teacher, I learned to listen and share my musical expertise with each student in order to promote his or her potential.
As a musician, I learned to appreciate the art of sound shaping. 
As a technical recruiter in the IT industry, I became familiar with the desperate need for high level talent and the focus on developing it. 

I am eager to continue this journey of ongoing technical learning, constant problem solving, and uncapped creative collaboration.