Alumni Spotlight: Robert Hero ’09

Robert Hero is a member of the Indiana Academy class of 2009. He came to the Indiana Academy from Lake Central High School in Northwest Indiana primarily for the vast course offerings in mathematics and the sciences, but also for the greater sense of independence that only living away from home can provide. While attending the Indiana Academy he was a co-captain of the Burris baseball team, a Peer Assistant, and he participated in as many clubs or Academy events as he could, taking particular interest in the lip-syncing competitions during spirit week. His most memorable experiences were those he spent with his four best friends with whom he remains in contact with everyday.

Since graduating from the Indiana Academy, Robert has spent most of his time on the east coast. He continued his education in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Harvard University, graduating in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and a secondary in Economics. He joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and continued his passion for baseball by playing on Harvard’s club team.

Not yet ready to accept the reality of work-life, Robert took two months after college graduation to explore Europe by bicycle. He traveled to 10 different countries and cycled over 2,000 miles while couchsurfing with natives of each city he visited. It was a life-changing experience that has really solidified his passion for immersive traveling.

Robert currently lives in New York City and has been working as a Technical Consultant for the consulting firm Perficient since August 2013, but he has recently accepted a new position as a Developer Support Engineer for Palantir Technologies and will be starting this Summer. He is excited for this opportunity to be a part of a company that is solving problems he is truly passionate about, while also being able to travel around the world as his job demands.

Robert credits the Indiana Academy with providing him the opportunity to make the transition to the east coast, a feat he is confident would not have happened without the resources provided by the Academy. Most importantly he thanks the Indiana Academy for connecting him to the best group of friends he has ever met—friends who give him reason to make the trip back to Indiana as often as he can.