Cook Systems International Continues to Support CBU through the CollegeCareerCorps® Program
May 26, 2009 - Memphis, Tennessee

Pictured from left to right: Ben Bryant, President of Cook Systems International; Dr. David Ciscel, Dean of the Christian Brothers University School of Business; and Kenneth Kinney, Vice President of Marketing, Cook Systems International.

Cook Systems International (cooksys.com) recently donated $2,750 to Christian Brothers University. The donation grew by almost 33% from last year due to Cook Systems International's growing CollegeCareerCorps® (collegecareercorps.com) efforts in the Memphis area.

The donation continues Cook Systems International's strong financial support to the Information Technology programs at CBU. Now in its 3rd year in partnering with CBU, Cook Systems International is partnered with over 30 colleges and universities nationwide through CollegeCareerCorps® efforts.

"This has been a challenging time for universities as we cope with recession while trying to prepare young people for a career in the business sector," said Dr. David Ciscel, Dean of the Christian Brothers University School of Business. "Cooperative enterprises, like CollegeCareerCorps®, will help us achieve the combination of intellectual development with pratical business skills."

“We at Cook Systems International are excited about continuing our CollegeCareerCorps® partnership with Christian Brothers University,” said Ben Bryant, President of Cook Systems International. “This has been a tremendous success in other regions of the country and we know it will continue to be here as well."

Corporate and government partners benefit with the CollegeCareerCorps® by receiving Cook Systems International’s unique expertise with the model, leading edge research services from colleges and universities, and the ability to partner with students and faculty to address critical business challenges. Services are delivered at globally competitive rates while developing a future workforce.

The CollegeCareerCorps® is a program that integrates students into professional technology teams in entry-level positions. The students join a team that includes experienced information technology professionals working on actual I.T. projects on a long-term basis unlike traditional internships. Cook Systems International has developed technical and certified management professionals using CollegeCareerCorps® project methodologies and procedures to ensure achieving the highest quality project results. Students typically work 20 hours per week and continue with the same client partner for up to two years.

Unlike traditional internship models, the student teams support real, long-term, operationally-budgeted activities. Under the guidance through the CollegeCareerCorps® program, the risk of using students is greatly reduced and ensures the success through Cook Systems International’s delivery accountability. Corporate and government partners further benefit by retaining the best and brightest students in the local area and by finding and managing students with fewer corporate resources.

"Christian Brothers University has done an excellent job at providing highly-qualified and well-rounded students who are eager to pursue exciting careers in Information Technology," said Kenneth Kinney, Vice President at Cook Systems International. "In today's economy, real-world experience gained in the CollegeCareerCorps® gives corporations a real edge in attracting the community's top talent and also to the students competing for those jobs."

About Cook Systems International, Inc.
Cook Systems International is an Information Technology Systems Integration firm headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, providing information technology resources and solutions to customers throughout the United States. With a strong focus on the mid-west and southeast, Cook Systems International currently has active initiatives in Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska, Texas, Colorado, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina with offices in Atlanta, Frankfort, and Colorado Springs.

Cook Systems International offers several types of services including: Program and Project Management, Professional Staffing, Managed Services, Outsourced Software Development and Maintenance Projects, Software Testing, Change Management and Business Process Consulting, and the CollegeCareerCorps®.

Cook Systems International is the number one rated vendor in the Memphis area having a proven track record of providing unsurpassed I.T. consulting services to Fortune 1000 companies, as well as state and local governments. Cook Systems International currently is a major provider of I.T. Professional Services to state governments and Fortune 1000 companies.

For more information please visit cooksys.com or collegecareercorps.com.

About Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University is renowned and respected for its distinctive, vibrant, and vigorous educational programs. This small, friendly, and remarkably diverse campus in central Memphis helps students develop ethical values even as it prepares them to step up, stand out, and lead in professional careers.

Regularly rated one of the best universities in the South, CBU traces its roots to a 17th-century educational innovator, Saint John Baptist de La Salle. While strongly rooted in the 21st century, education at CBU honors those Lasallian traditions -- especially in the focus on faith, service, and community.

For more information please visit cbu.edu.