Open gallery
At a September 20th panel, four computer science majors shared their experiences with paid summer internships. Tianna Jones ’22 learned about the work a computer scientist can do as a consultant via a remote internship with Resolute Consulting Group. Chris Ojonta ’23 gained experience as a Data Science Intern at Dell Technologies. Chris Smith ’23 completed an in-person internship with Apogee, resulting in a better understanding of the ins and outs of large enterprise networks. Anna Wicker ’24 worked as a Software Engineer Intern at The Home Depot. Though the day to day differed in the various internships, all students valued their experiences and encouraged other students to pursue opportunities to learn about different CS career paths. They also highlighted the importance of soft skills, and getting to know people at all levels of the companies. Networks including alumni, family, and acquaintances as well as resources from Southwestern faculty and staff including the Center for Career and Professional Development proved helpful in finding internship opportunities. Two students had also attended conferences like the Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing (Ojonta in 2022) or the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (Wicker in 2021) which have career fairs, resume databases, and opportunities for participants to interview on the spot, and encouraged students to likewise seek out those opportunities