Two students from the David Eccles School of Business who have worked on behalf of Microsoft through Education at Work have been hired by Microsoft for the company’s highly sought-after and competitive MACH program.

The MACH (Microsoft Academy for College Hires) program accepts applications from thousands of students each year and hires a fraction of a percent of those applicants. The two Eccles School students are Alisa Cloward, a Business Administration undergraduate, and Moses Manning, an Information Systems undergraduate.

“Moving from EAW to Microsoft seems so unreal, and excited doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel. I’ve been completely overwhelmed by support and guidance from the minute I joined Education at Work, and that’s truly, truly invaluable to me. It’s pushed me to work harder and be better, and I will always be grateful,” Cloward said.

Through an innovative model, Eccles School students begin their journey with technical training and earn competitive wages working part-time between their classes at Education at Work on behalf of Microsoft. Plus, students have the opportunity to earn up to an additional $5,250 annually in tax-free tuition assistance.

In addition to experiencing meaningful pre-career experiences while in school, EAW graduates, such as Cloward and Manning, have gone on to work directly for clients or other industry leading companies in roles such as marketing, finance, IT and investing. The ability to develop critical business skills resonates with employers and sets up students for success in their careers after graduation.

“Our partnership with Education at Work both helps our students graduate college with valuable skills and manageable debt and positions them for amazing opportunities like these with Microsoft. Through Education at Work we are developing strong relationships with incredible companies such as Microsoft so they can benefit from the talent pool created at the Eccles School,” said Taylor Randall, dean of the David Eccles School of Business. “We are so proud of these two students, and we know their futures will be bright.”