Next month, fifty-four George Mason students will attend a three-week long micro-internship at one of ten well-known tech companies in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, including American Express, Bechtel Corporation, Booz Allen Hamilton, Commvault, Crown Castle, KPMG, Mastercard, Microsoft, Ticketmaster, and Verizon. They are taking part in the Sprinternship program at Break Through Tech DC, an organization dedicated to increasing the number of underrepresented students in computing degree programs.
Meet a Sprintern Q&A: Elaine Jin
Q: Do you have a background in CS/IST?
A: My background in CS is all from high school and college. I took some programming classes in high school, which convinced me to pursue CS in college. Furthermore, Break Through Tech has given me opportunities recently to be able to explore the technology industry.
Q: What area of tech are you interested in pursuing and why?
A: This is a hard question to answer, because there are so many options. But I have thought of a few: Tech in healthcare is one interest of mine, because I enjoy being able to make an impact on people's lives, and technology can be developed to aid healthcare workers and provide better care for patients! Additionally, technology is constantly growing and evolving, so computer science research seems like a cool opportunity to explore and contribute to solutions for real-world problems. Furthermore, data science also interests me, because you get to use technology to analyze data and use those results to help solve problems.
Q: What are your goals for a career in tech – how might this Sprinternship help you get there?
A: Since technology is constantly changing, my goal is to not be afraid of change and to explore my curiosity. Technology is so versatile and can be integrated in many different industries; so, I want to be able to find a career that I am passionate about and work on meaningful projects. This Sprinternship is my first experience in the professional tech industry, so I hope this experience helps me to realize how technology is designed, developed, maintained, and how it interacts with both the company--American Express--and their clients. The Sprinternship will give me the opportunity to learn more about technology from one out of the various industries it can be integrated into and help me envision what I am looking for in my future.
Q: What advice do you have for students applying to the Sprinternship program next year?
A: Don't be afraid to apply and just try! You never know what opportunities are ahead of you if you never attempt them. At first, I felt underqualified for this experience, but this program is meant to help you get a tech industry experience! Just show your passion and curiosity for the tech industry.