Five siblings from Slovakia share their memories of studying at Dundalk Institute of Technology

Irish Independent

4 hours ago

All five enrolled at Dundalk Institute of Technology, where they gained professional qualifications and skills and made lifelong friends, with one sibling meeting their future partner at the Dublin Road campus.
Each sibling forged their own path, but they all share fond memories of DkIT's welcoming community, vibrant student life, and dedicated lecturers. From volleyball clubs to book groups, from IT skills to lifelong friendships, the Ponik family credits DkIT for shaping both their personal and professional lives.
'If you study something you're passionate about, then you'll enjoy your time at DkIT', Lukas Ponik (37), said. The eldest of siblings, he enrolled in 2012 as a mature student. Initially studying software engineering, he later switched to games development and now works as principal developer at GBETechnologies.
'The lecturers were understanding and supportive. I'll always be grateful for the years I spent there,' Lukas said.
He didn't just get a degree at DkIT, he met his wife, Huey Wong, through the volleyball club. Originally from Malaysia, Huey pursued a BA (Hons) in early childhood studies and later completed a Master's in early intervention at Trinity College Dublin. She is now a full-time mum to the couple's three kids Lilly, Simeon and Jasmine.
She too has many good memories from her time at DkIT.
"I loved the international events, going to watch volleyball matches with different colleges, having placement in different crèches each year, sport and societies award night, and much more!
"I also met my husband, Lukas in the volleyball society. Neither of us were the best volleyball players, but we had a great time!'
Initially having a fear that she would struggle with her studies, as English was not her first language, Huey soon discovered that lecturers and staff were very approachable and helped her find placements, which she described as 'very rewarding experiences' where she made connections with real people instead of focusing only on theory.
Lukas's decision to attend DkIT had been influenced by his younger siblings' positive experiences.
His younger brother Stefan (35), the second eldest of the Ponik family, pursued a B.Sc. in networking and support in 2010 and later completed a B.Sc. (Hons) in computing in IT management in 2012. Now a cloud engineer manager at Wesco, Stefan attributes his success to the foundation built at DkIT.
'Getting a first-class honours degree after a few years of hard work, that feeling of pride and achievement and of course the celebrations afterwards made it all worth it,' he recalled.
Stefan also engaged in extracurricular activities like breakdancing and volleyball, and he emphasises the importance of balancing work and social life during college.
Next in the family is 34-year-old Anna Ponikova, who like Stefan, began her studies at DkIT in 2010 and followed a similar academic path. She enjoyed her time in the volleyball team and later worked as an IT compliance analyst for a global financial services company before becoming a full-time mother.
She credits DkIT for giving her the confidence to succeed in the tech industry. 'DkIT opened doors. It gave me real-world experience and belief in my own abilities.'
Although Anna's younger sister Marcela (29) didn't share the same enthusiasm for IT as her siblings, she pursued a networking course at DkIT in 2014. Today, she works as a project manager at proprietary trading firm Susquehanna, having started her career there as an Infrastructure Engineer.
Marcela treasures her DkIT experience, especially graduating with the highest GPA in her class, earning the President's Prize.
Samuel, the youngest of the Ponik siblings, started a Level 7 software engineering course at DkIT in 2018. He currently works full-time in Dublin as a backend software engineer, but is considering returning for a part-time Master's degree.
'Join the clubs and societies,' he advises. 'You'll build friendships that last a lifetime and meet people outside your course. DkIT gave me memories and connections I still value today.'
The family's educational journey was championed by their parents, Stefan and Anna who expressed sincere gratitude for the number of opportunities available to their children as students in Ireland, which they themselves did not have in Slovakia.
'A few years have passed since our five children finished university and it's an indescribable feeling to see each of them doing well, happy, working, and using the knowledge they gained at DKIT,' Stefan Senior said.
'We are really proud of what each of them has achieved and it feels very special to have five siblings all graduate from the same university. We are thankful for the education system in Ireland that enables people of any age to study and the programmes that help make it accessible and affordable for all.'