Luke is a Management Information Systems (MIS) major and Business Analytics minor at the University of Dayton School of Business Administration. In addition to being a full-time student, he serves as Director of IT for Flyer Enterprises, a nationally recognized, 13-division, student-run business where students don’t just work in operations. They run the entire business, producing more than $2 million in annual revenue.
For Luke, that means leading teams, building analytics tools, piloting AI solutions, and turning data into decisions that improve a real business.
Why MIS—and why Dayton
Luke knew early on he wanted a career in technology. “Technology is always growing, always changing,” he said, and every business relies on it. MIS stood out for its integration of technology, strategy, data, and decision-making in a business setting.
He’s also candid about the rigor. MIS covers a lot of ground, with early concepts building into advanced coursework. What made Dayton the right fit was the support: small classes, one-on-one access to professors, and a close-knit community within the major.
“My MIS professors know me, and I know most of the people in my major. I can go to them with any questions, like ‘How did you learn this? I’m struggling with this content,” said Luke.
From first-year employee to executive leader
Luke joined Flyer Enterprises in his first semester at UD as a sales associate at The Chill, one of the student-run divisions located in the RecPlex.
But his leadership path moved fast. Many students climb from sales associate to manager to executive roles. Luke did something different: he skipped the manager phase and moved straight into an executive position, Director of IT, as a sophomore. He earned it through a competitive process that included two interviews and a 10-minute vision presentation.
Two words guided his vision: impact and communication.
What does the Director of IT do in a student-run business?
Luke leads a seven-student team within FEIT, Flyer Enterprises’ IT division, which focuses on two areas:
- Data analytics that help leaders across FE make smarter decisions
- AI implementation that improves e-commerce workflows, training, and efficiency
In short, they use technology and data to drive smarter operations, stronger performance, and measurable results.
A project that saved $2,000
One clear example came from The Chill. Luke’s team analyzed sales and staffing data and found that two-person shifts were needed later in the day, but not earlier. Using peak-hour data, FEIT partnered with The Chill’s HR manager to adjust staffing, which saved Flyer Enterprises $2,000 per semester in labor costs.
That’s the difference between practice and real responsibility. FEIT provides real-world, resume-building experience as students analyze, recommend, and implement changes that directly impact operations.
Luke’s team also supports other divisions by analyzing performance, informing pricing decisions, and identifying which products to keep. Because each division has different goals, the work stays dynamic. FEIT shares bi-weekly sales reports and meets with divisions as needed to support data-informed decisions.
AI that supports people without replacing them
It’s more than business analytics. It’s about innovation and using new technology with purpose. Luke is excited about AI, but his approach is intentionally people-first. His team uses AI to support student employees and enhance the customer experience while preserving the human connection that makes Flyer Enterprises a campus favorite and keeps leadership and learning meaningful.
One example is a chatbot the team built to support student employees. Using UD’s FlyerGPT platform, they created a private knowledge base populated only with internal training information, not from the internet, and limited access to those who needed it. The goal was simple: reduce repetitive questions, help students find answers faster, and allow managers to focus on more complex situations.
For Luke, that balance matters. AI should help people do their jobs better, not replace judgment, care, or connection.
Classroom Skills Applied in Real Time
He regularly applies technical skills developed in the classroom. MIS and business analytics courses built his confidence with Excel, Power BI, SQL, Java, and scripting, which strengthened his technical foundation and equipped him to lead teams, evaluate solutions, and translate classroom learning into real operational impact at Flyer Enterprises.
It isn’t just about technical skills, though. “My role is a lot of communication, leadership, and critical thinking. It's leading and motivating teams and trying to get them to buy into your vision, said Luke.” I need to communicate problems efficiently and explain complex concepts in simple terms. It can be difficult, but something I really learned this past year.”
Growth outside the comfort zone
Ask Luke what he’s proudest of, and he points to his growth, as well as his team’s.
“Before I stepped into the Director of IT, I had all these ideas on ways we can make FE better. Some worked, and others were completely wrong,” said Luke. “It’s important to be adaptable and come in with a mixture of creativity and realism and to know when to expand on projects that are going well, recognize what projects aren’t going well, and find solutions that would have worked better.”
His advice to business students is simple: “Keep putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, because that's really where you grow the most. Be willing to jump into new opportunities. Your parachute will always catch you.”
Learn more about the University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration and all of its experiential learning opportunities.