Tag Archives: Computer Science

Last Summer Internship at Google NYC by Khanh Ha Nguyen ‘27

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Name: Khanh Ha Nguyen
Class Year: 2027
Major: Computer Science, Mathematics

Internship Organization: Google
Internship Title: Software Engineer Intern
Location: New York, NY

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!

I am currently interning on the Google Drive team, where I am working on frontend development and making changes to improve the user experience. It has been really exciting to work on a product that I’ve used for years and get to see how a large-scale product like Google Drive is built and maintained behind the scenes.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I have been applying to Google since my freshman year of college, so finally getting the opportunity to intern here has been incredibly meaningful to me. Google has always been my dream company because I’ve grown up using and loving its products, from YouTube to Google Drive and Maps. Being able to contribute to products that have been such a big part of my everyday life is something I’ve always wanted to experience.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

One thing I have learned is how important context is when communicating technical ideas. I used to sometimes jump straight into the details, especially in design docs, without providing enough background. Through this internship, I’ve learned that explaining the “why” and giving enough context upfront makes it much easier for others to understand and give useful feedback.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

The most rewarding part is being able to see my frontend changes become part of a real product and eventually roll out to enterprise customers. It’s exciting to know that something I built will be used by real people at scale.

Menahil Bilal ’29: Glimpse of Finance in Pakistan

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Name:  Menahil Bilal
Class Year: 2029
Majors: Economics, Computer Science

Internship Organization: Fast Cables
Internship Title: Accounting Intern
Location:  Lahore, Pakistan

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!

‎I joined my internship at the peak of budgeting season which was a very hectic environment, workers staying overtime, lots of banter, tea and concern about timelines. A lot has cooled down since then, whilst before when I joined I immediately aided in with as much knowledge I had on researching and financial documents and seeing hands on real company data, now my position has become a lot more on working from scratch on newer projects, finding data, visualizing it and analyzing it from point 0.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I was interested in Economics and a root of my interest was growing in Pakistan with so much of the surrounding messaging always stressing its economic position or the new economic deal and how much it showed up in our society. When I got the opportunity to see how a company interacts, forecasts and deals with the market trends in Pakistan especially a big one, I felt I got a chance to explore if this is something I see my future in and get hands-on experience.

Was this internship what you expected it to be?

‎ ‎Honestly not at all, I did not envision how much of finance is rechecking data and researching, I was also very surprised to see the integration of AI in the workforce and how much it aids in our work.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

‎Honestly the main skill I’ve learned is to stop hesitating. Initially when I was really scared to show my work in fear I would get it wrong or miss something out. My the end of the internship however I felt that I wasted a lot of time initially in fear which was completely unnecessary, and your manager really is there to help you and wants to hear from you and doesn’t expect perfection ‎

Kashf Ali ’28: From Algorithms to Headlines: My Summer in Freiburg

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Name: Kashf Ali
Class Year: 2028
Majors: Computer Science & Mathematics

Internship Organization:  University of Freiburg
Internship Title: Research Assistant — NLP & Media Analysis
Location: Freiburg, Germany

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!

This summer I’m working as a research assistant at a psychology lab in Freiburg, Germany, on a project that sits right at the crossroads of computer science and psychology. The goal is to understand how German-language news media covers the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, things like gender equality, clean water, climate action, and poverty reduction, and whether there are goals that barely get covered at all.

My job is to build the data pipeline that answers that question. I’m working with a dataset of millions of German news sentences since 1995, running each one through a multilingual AI model that reads the sentence and assigns it to whichever UN goal it’s most about. I then analyze the results to find patterns; which goals dominate the headlines, which ones are essentially invisible, and whether different outlets cover different goals. So far, gender equality is the most covered goal while no poverty and decent work barely register. Those gaps are exactly what the research is trying to explain.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I’ve always wanted to find a version of computer science that felt connected to something bigger than just the code itself. I’m drawn to questions about people; how they think, what they pay attention to, what shapes their understanding of the world. When I came across this opportunity to combine NLP with psychology research on something as meaningful as global sustainability goals, it felt like exactly the kind of interdisciplinary work I’d been hoping to find. I also wanted real research experience like something where the decisions I made actually affected the findings. This internship gave me both.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

The moment when things finally clicked.

I spent a few days early on trying to find an AI model that could actually read German text well enough to be useful for the project. First one gave completely wrong results. Second one crashed on loading. By the third attempt I was pretty much just hoping for the best and then it actually worked. A sentence about climate change and oceans came back labeled correctly. A sentence about a gender equality law hit 96% confidence. It was one of those quiet moments where you just sit back and think, okay, we’re doing this.

What I didn’t expect was how interesting the results themselves would turn out to be. After running the pipeline on thousands of German news sentences, patterns started emerging: “Gender Equality” was everywhere, showing up in nearly 17% of matched sentences. “No Poverty” barely registered at 0.1%. That’s not just a fun data point, it’s actually saying something real about which global issues German media thinks are worth covering and which ones it essentially ignores. The research question suddenly felt very alive in a way it hadn’t when I was just building the pipeline.

But honestly, it’s not just the work. Freiburg itself has been a huge part of what makes this summer special. It’s a small city in the southwest corner of Germany, right at the edge of the Black Forest, and it has this energy that’s hard to describe — sunny, relaxed, full of students, with little streams called Bächle running along the streets that you will absolutely step in at least once. My colleagues have made it even better. Lunch breaks turn into long conversations, someone always knows a good spot to grab food, and the whole environment just makes you want to show up every day.

That combination — work that actually means something, in a place this good, with people this easy to be around — has made this a summer I’ll genuinely remember.

Was this internship what you expected it to be?

Honestly, not at all — but in the best way.

I expected something more straightforward. Build a pipeline, process some data, hand it off. What I didn’t expect was how many judgment calls were actually mine to make. Which model to use. How confident the AI needs to be before we trust its answer. How to handle sentences that are technically ambiguous. None of that has a right answer you can just look up; you think it through, discuss it with your supervisor, and make a call. That felt new and a little uncomfortable at first, and then really exciting.

I also didn’t expect how much the environment itself would matter. The colleagues who pull you into lunch conversations, the supervisor who asks what you think instead of just telling you what to do and it all adds up. I came here to learn how research works. I didn’t realize I’d also get to feel like an actual part of it.

Esma Bilgi ’28: A Summer Printing the Future

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Name: Esma Yagmur Bilgi
Class Year: 2028
Majors: Computer Science & Neuroscience
Minor: Data Science

Internship Organization:  University of Freiburg
Internship Title: livMatS Research Intern
Location: Freiburg, Germany

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!

Me and my friend Aila (Columbia’28) enjoying Freiburger Bächlepicknick, while listening to a jazz concert in the city center

This summer I am interning at livMatS, a cluster of the University of Freiburg, focusing on developing autonomous life-like material systems. I work closely with my PhD student supervisor, Yizheng Liu, from the CPI group, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe. As a research intern, I spend my days preparing substrates and glass slides, observing polymer synthesis, brainstorming on problems we encounter, and most excitingly, using a two-photon printer to develop micro actuators which will eventually be used to hold and stretch a single, living cell.

Most of my days are spent working in the lab and doing literature review, and attending weekly group meetings, which have been the greatest opportunities to get to know other PhD students’ ongoing research projects! Other than being fully immersed in a highly scientific, research-oriented environment, I have also become a part of a very international workplace, learning about other cultures and drinking various types of tea, even cold brewed for the hottest days of the year!

Why did you apply for this internship?

First hike in France! Picture showing me on top of Château de Saint-Ulrich after a 90-minute-long hike

After doing my summer internship remotely at a data science company last year, I wanted to apply for this internship to learn more about research in international universities and the European culture. As someone considering pursuing a Master’s degree in Europe, this opportunity was very appealing for me because I got to meet many Master’s students and learn more about what pursuing a PhD would be like. Moreover, I was interested in getting exposed to biocompatible, autonomous technologies that are being developed at the University of Freiburg, an institution that is older than the foundation of the United States!

Thus, when I was looking at opportunities Bryn Mawr College offered for the summer, I got intrigued by this specific position as it promised a work experience abroad and glimpse into a different field than mine. Searching more about the area and the university, I fell in love with Freiburg’s sustainable and extremely green environment, including the Black Forest, and the university’s previous projects, such as its snakeskin-inspired molting materials that can shed damaged layers in water to self-repair, and the Biomimetic Shell, an innovative research pavilion modeled after the structural biology of sea urchins and pine cones. And after all the searching, I am here now, contributing to sustainable research thanks to BMC!

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

Me having bubble tea (yum!!) in front of Limmat River and the Fraumünster Curch clock tower in Zürich, Switzerland

I have to admit that the best part of my internship is the endless possibilities to explore neighboring European countries and cities. As an international student already studying in the United States, this experience has felt like a second study abroad opportunity. I am deeply grateful to Bryn Mawr College for providing this amazing internship opportunity that helps me grow as a scientist as well as a multi-cultural person. Other than its cultural exchange perspective, I have enjoyed learning material sciences from different aspects, especially with hands-on research. Even though it was a fully new topic to me, I have been very enthusiastic about learning about polymers, micro actuators, and their applications in various fields, especially biomedical research and environmental studies.

The city I do my research in, Freiburg, and the actual work I do in the lab helped me better grasp material sciences’ real-life applications and importance for our future. This experience has given me a new perspective as a future scientist and inspired me to think about how polymers could be applied in neuroscience. For example, I have already started brainstorming ideas such as using two-photon printing to fabricate an actuatable micro-platform for a single fly brain using biocompatible hybrid material systems that combine rigid structural polymers with smart hydrogels.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

I am learning how to handle temperature and light-sensitive materials while improving my microscopy skills by observing microstructures approximately 10–60 µm in size. In addition, I have gained experience with laboratory techniques that were new to me, including doctor blading, spin coating, and two-photon printing. Developing these practical laboratory skills is important to me because I want to become a scientist with hands-on experience across different disciplines and familiarity with equipment based on a variety of scientific principles. These experiences contribute to my growth as a future scientist and broaden my perspective on what is possible today – and what is not, at least not yet.

Beyond the technical aspects of my internship, I have also been developing my interpersonal communication skills while working in a new country with colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds. This has been one of the most valuable aspects of my experience, as effective communication is essential for successful collaboration and professional growth.

Strengthening my ability to communicate in an international environment will benefit me throughout my career as both a scientist and a professional! 

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship?

Research is full of barriers to overcome, problems to solve, and dead ends to navigate. I have faced some challenges doing experiments at BMC Shoenhard Lab, but always found a way to navigate them. At livMatS, the biggest challenge I have faced is again related to our project. In theory, everything was supposed to work fine until we put different polymers together on a glass slide. After several attempts, we figured out that solvent used for the middle polymer layer penetrates through the polymer beneath, causing it to become uneven and distorted. My supervisor and I have been trying to solve this issue by using different solvents and coating extra protection layers between the two polymers.

Even though we changed the solvent many times, we have not been able to solve this problem; thus, we resynthesized our bottom layer polymer and will try it once again using it. Because of this issue, we have not been able to fabricate a uniform batch of micro structures. However, I am optimistic that the newly synthesized polymer, together with a mixed-solvent approach that I suggested, will help us overcome this issue. At the end, it is a challenge I love to overcome, and this is how research works.

Keziah Keya ‘27: A Summer Spent Googling… at Google

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Name: Keziah Keya
Class Year: 2027
Major: Computer Science, Mathematics
 
Internship Organization:  Google, Inc.
Internship Title:   Associate Software Developer Intern
Location:  San Francisco, CA
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!

This summer I joined Google’s internal framework for mobile experimentation—launches, rollouts, and A/B tests. In practice, that meant most of my days were spent deep in code, building and refining the behind-the-scenes tools that make it easier for engineers to test their ideas as they go live. I was part of a tiny intern pod with two fantastic hosts and a fellow intern, tucked inside a much larger team. Our pod had regular check-ins where we shared updates and any frustrations, and sometimes cross-team meetings like with UX folks to make sure our changes weren’t just functional but actually useful. Some days felt like an endless loop of code → test → debug → repeat, but there were also the highs of seeing my changes launch or hearing a teammate say, “hey, this actually makes my life easier.” Add in a few snack-powered brainstorming sessions and impromptu coffee chats, and the whole experience felt like a mix of puzzle-solving, teamwork, and just enough chaos to keep things fun.
 
Why did you apply for this internship?  

I remember talking to my family and friends after my LTT internship in Ghana last year and really loving the impact of a great internship. We were brainstorming about the next summer and, since I loved CS and Math so much, maybe my next internship should combine the two at a big company—naturally, Google came up in the conversation. Then, in early fall 2024, my school arranged a trip to Google’s New York offices where we met a couple of TriCo alums working there in different roles. It was an eye-opening experience: the culture felt exciting, the work everyone was doing sounded fascinating, and yes—the lots of mini kitchens didn’t hurt either. (I’m not saying I applied just for the snacks… but the snacks didn’t hurt.) After those conversations with alums, I knew an internship at Google would throw me in the deep end—with mentors to guide me, teammates to brainstorm with, and projects that would stretch me far beyond what I’d experienced before. And honestly? I also wanted to prove to myself that a kid from Nairobi could find her place, contribute, and learn in a space as massive and inspiring as Google.
 
Was there anything special about how you found this internship? 

Not really—I didn’t stumble on a secret portal or have an insider tip. There are countless GitHub repos and forums that mention Google’s internship, so as soon as applications opened, I just threw my hat in the ring. Was I expecting to hear back? Honestly, no. With the thousands of applications Google must get, I assumed mine would quietly disappear into the void. But then, on my birthday, I got the email inviting me to interview. It felt less like perfect timing and more like the universe giving me a little wink: “Yep, this one’s for you.” 

What has been your favorite part of this internship?  

I have a couple of favorites, but top of the list has to be my intern presentation at the very end of the summer. My podmate and I were so excited to finally share our work—it felt like our own little “product launch,” complete with slides, demos, and plenty of nerves. What made it special wasn’t just showing what we built, but realizing how much we had learned and grown over the course of the internship. Another highlight was the team itself. They weren’t just supportive of our work, they also created spaces to connect in more informal, human ways—like hosting a cookout and a team women’s summit that was as fun as it was inspiring. Those kinds of activities opened the door for conversations that went far beyond code. I got to learn about life at Google through so many different lenses: a TriCo alum who had once been in my shoes, international colleagues bringing stories from around the world, Black women in tech sharing their experiences, and Africans navigating the same spaces I was. That mix of professional growth and personal connection is what made the whole summer unforgettable.

What is something you learned that you didn’t expect? 

I did take a ramen-making class and a linocut printing workshop, and both reminded me that there’s real joy in experimenting, messing up, and trying again. Strangely enough, that same lesson carried into my work on the A/B testing team—seeing that experimentation isn’t just a technical process, it’s a mindset. It also made me think back to a Software Analysis course I took in spring 2025, where we dug into testing frameworks and ways of thinking critically about how programs behave. The connection to A/B testing wasn’t one-to-one, but both gave me a deeper appreciation for the role testing plays—not just in catching bugs, but in shaping better systems and better ideas. What I didn’t expect to learn at Google is that experimentation, whether in code, cooking, or carving into linoleum, is less about getting it perfect the first time and more about being open to discovery.   

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship? 

The biggest challenge for me was adjusting to the sheer scale and complexity of Google’s systems as compared to my school projects most of which fit neatly into a folder on my laptop; here, even the smallest change touched layers of code and teams I hadn’t even imagined. At first it was overwhelming—I’d open something up and feel like I was staring at a maze with no map. But slowly, with the help of my hosts, my podmate, and lots of trial and error, I learned how to break problems down into smaller pieces and not be afraid to ask “basic” questions. There were definitely days when I felt stuck, but those moments also forced me to be patient with myself and trust the process and learn how to find my footing in complexity without losing curiosity.  

What is most rewarding about your internship? 

The most rewarding part of this internship was how much I got to accomplish at work while also exploring a whole new world outside of it. Professionally, I grew a lot—tackling projects that stretched me and gave me a clearer sense of the kind of developer I want to be. Personally, it was an adventure of firsts: my first time on the West Coast, my first encounter with San Francisco’s famously foggy summer (not exactly the sunshine I had pictured), and my first chance to experience “Googley” activities in different offices, including the HQ. I loved meeting so many new faces within and outside of Google, and exploring different coffee shops, restaurants and historical sites around the city. Even when the fog rolled in, I tried to make the best of it, and by the end of the summer I felt like I’d grown just as much outside the office as I had inside it. That mix—of professional milestones and personal discoveries—made the whole experience deeply rewarding. 

When Technology Meets Community: Insights From a Village STEM Project by Kashaf Batool ‘28 

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Name: Kashaf Batool
Class Year: 2028
Major:  Computer Science, Mathematics
 
Internship Organization:  Davis Projects for Peace
Internship Title:   Team Lead & Grantee
Location:  Chakwal, Pakistan
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

Students presenting their innovative STEM projects—from vertical farming to clean energy solutions—showing that big ideas can come from small villages

I am working on creating different STEM-based projects while also training students from my village to present them. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch their growth—when I first met them, many were shy and reserved, hesitant to speak about their ideas. Now, they confidently share their thoughts and dreams, and seeing that transformation has been one of the most fulfilling parts of this internship.
 
Why did you apply for this internship? 

Coming to Bryn Mawr on a full ride is an incredible privilege, and I felt a strong responsibility to use the opportunities I’ve been given to give back in a meaningful way. I wanted to create something that not only benefited my own growth but also made a lasting difference in my community. The Davis Projects for Peace became that outlet—it allowed me to merge my passion for education and technology with the needs of students in my village. By applying, I saw a chance to translate my academic journey into real-world impact, to empower students who often lack access to resources, and to take the first step toward the kind of long-term work I hope to continue throughout my career

Our young scientists proudly standing at the opening of the village’s first-ever Science Fair

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect? 

One of the most important lessons I learned is that plans will almost always change—and that it’s completely okay. At the start, I hadn’t planned to train teachers and was only focused on creating STEM projects for students. But as I worked more closely with the schools, I realized that without trained teachers, the impact would not be sustainable. Adding a teacher training component was an unexpected shift, but it taught me the value of flexibility, adaptability, and thinking long-term when working on community-based projects.  

What is most rewarding about your internship? 

The entire village came together to celebrate the students’ achievements—proving that it truly takes a village to raise a child

The most rewarding moment was the final day, when I saw the entire village gathered to celebrate the children. It felt like the whole community had come alive—the kids were dressed as if it were a festival, their families stood proudly by their side, and people told me they had walked over an hour just to be there. In that moment, I truly felt the meaning of “it takes a village to raise a child.” To witness such joy, pride, and hope in one place—and to know I had played a small part in making it happen—was unforgettable. It left me excited not only for what these children will dream up next, but also for the possibilities that can grow when a community comes together. 

CS and Math Major Khanh Ha Nguyen Gains Hands-On Industrial Experience In The Tech World 

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Name: Khanh Ha Nguyen
Class Year: 2027
Major:  Computer Science
Minor:  Mathematics
 
Internship Organization:  Microsoft
Internship Title:   Explore Intern
Location:  Redmond, WA
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

This summer, I’m interning at Microsoft as an Explore intern, where I have the opportunity to explore both the fields of software engineering and product management. I’m collaborating with two other interns to build a new website feature for a Microsoft enterprise social networking platform, called Viva Engage. For the first three weeks, I learned a lot about product design through writing product specification documents and aligning our work with the team and user goals, which helped me better understand how technical decisions intersect with user experience and business impact. On the engineering side of the remaining weeks, I’ve been able to gain hands-on experience with programming by working with both the front-end and back-end of the feature. I have the chance to also present my work and learning to more than a hundred people in the Viva Engage team.
 
Why did you apply for this internship?  

As a second-year college student seeking to gain industrial experience, the Microsoft Explore program caught my attention. Their emphasis on growth, building, and exploring aligned with what I was looking for at that time, so I decided to give myself a shot and applied right when the application was open. I didn’t expect that I would get in, considering how competitive the internship was.
 
Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience? 

Three adjectives: supportive, challenging, fun  

Three nouns: exploration, network, growth 

What is most rewarding about your internship? 

The most rewarding part of my internship has been the incredible mentorship and support I’ve received from my team. Coming in with limited experience navigating a large codebase or working in a professional environment, I made numerous mistakes. However, thanks to the patience and encouragement of my mentors, I never once felt like I didn’t belong. Every question I asked was met with genuine support, and I was always encouraged to keep learning and growing. That kind of environment made a huge difference in my confidence and helped me grow not only as an engineer but also as a teammate. 

The Rush of Getting it right (and Sometimes Wrong) by Mariya Mushtaq ‘26 

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Name: Mariya Mushtaq
Class Year: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Data Science
 
Internship Organization: Liberate Inc.
Internship Title:  Machine Learning Intern
Location:  Remote (USA)
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

This summer, I’m working as a Machine Learning Intern at Liberate, a fast-growing Series A startup building in the voice AI space. At this stage of my work, I’m working on curating high-quality training datasets for fine-tuning LLMs using real customer service transcripts – essentially turning raw, messy data into something that large language models can actually learn from. I’ve also been brainstorming logic to evaluate and structure this data in ways that directly impact how helpful and accurate the AI can be in real conversations. The project I’m working on is currently being experimented with to evaluate key metrics – and if successful, could help shape product decisions at a larger scale than I had expected.

Why did you apply for this internship?  

Liberate has been the kind of environment where things move fast, ideas are taken seriously, and there’s real space to learn by building. The team’s pace, ambition, and openness to experimentation have made it an ideal place to grow – not just technically, but also in confidence. There’s something energizing about knowing your work could make it into production and potentially shape how the product evolves. Being part of a small, focused team where everyone is working hard toward a shared vision has taught me a lot about autonomy, adaptability, and staying curious.
 
What has been your favorite part of this internship?   

Definitely the dataset work. I’ve really enjoyed the process of curating training data and developing logic to evaluate and structure it effectively. Thinking through how raw transcripts can be transformed into meaningful inputs for large language models – and how to design evals that actually reflect useful performance – has been both challenging and rewarding. It’s given me a much deeper appreciation for how critical high-quality data is in building reliable AI systems. Something that really stuck with me was a conversation where I mentioned my fear of breaking production. My manager laughed and said, “I broke production at my first job too – that’s how you learn,” and the CTO added, “If anything breaks, that’s on us, not you. Go ahead and explore.” That mindset has made it easier to take risks, experiment, and grow more confidently throughout the internship. 

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect? 

One thing I didn’t expect to learn was just how important it is to be comfortable with being wrong. Coming into a fast-paced startup, I expected an intense, high-pressure environment where mistakes were to be avoided at all costs. I started this internship thinking I needed to get everything right on the first try, but I quickly learned that experimentation, failure, and iteration are not just accepted here; they’re expected. I learned that psychological safety isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a real strategy. Giving people the freedom to experiment and fail without fear is what allows a team to move quickly and build fearlessly. That realization was a significant mindset shift. It empowered me to take more initiative, try different approaches, and ultimately build more confidence in my decision-making. It’s been a powerful lesson in trusting the process of learning itself.

FSH Technologies Summer Internships: Kripa Lamichhane ’26 

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Name: Kripa Lamichhane
Class Year: 2026
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Data Science
 
Internship Organization:  FSH Technologies
Internship Title:   Technical Product Manager
Location:  Philadelphia, PA
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

Looking back at my time at FSH Tech, I am incredibly grateful for the experience, knowledge and interpersonal skills that I have been able to acquire. Speaking of work, I’ve been part of a huge project with Pittsburgh Public Schools, where I interact directly with clients from Food Services to understand the challenges they face with their current software. My team and I have been dealing with them to develop tailored software solutions that are used by 52 schools and impact over 22,000 students’ nutrition and health. Beyond this, I contribute to technical responses for RFPs (Requests for Proposals) issued by government agencies which are real-world technical documents that outline solutions to public sector challenges. What I most enjoy is being part of a team that believes that software has to be for people before anything else.

Why did you apply for this internship?  

My goal was to break into Technical Product Management by solving meaningful, real-world problems that have an impact upon people’s lives.I am drawn to this internship opportunity as there are values within this company that consider people and sentiment seriously. It also offered me a chance to work at engineering-product-client boundary and learn how to build something that’s functional and technically proficient. I understood that this internship would allow me to grow along different axes and that’s why I came to this opportunity.
 
What has been your favorite part of this internship?  

Getting to see how my work can make an impact has been most rewarding whether that’s developing systems that serve thousands of students or improving internal operations. I also routinely receive constructive criticism from PMs and advisors, which works to accelerate not only my professional but also personal growth. What really sets this internship apart is the high standard to learn fast and how elevated my manager holds interns. I’ve been given ownership, with confidence, and with a look behind the curtain at both the operations and technical sides of the company.

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience? 

Adjectives: Impactful, Empathetic, Fast-paced  

Nouns: Ownership, Collaboration, Hockey-stick Growth

Linh Nguyen ’28 Spends The Summer Gaining Valuable Hands-on Experience

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Name: Linh Nguyen
Class Year: 2028
Major: Computer Science, Economics

Internship Organization: Library and Information Technology Services, Bryn Mawr College
Internship Title:  Digital Technology Intern
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

Me, together with four other teammates, are working on three projects this summer. Our first project is to create visualizations for the data in the College’s Factbook. We have meetings with the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment to make sure that we are on the right track with the visualizations and have included all the necessary information into our work. The second project is to help organize the ILiADS Conference in June by preparing designs for signage and nametags, and creating informative videos to help guide first-time visitors to our campus. Lastly, the third project is to create lab safety videos to help make the training more interactive, accessible, and efficient. For this project, we have meetings with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety to make sure we have covered all the necessary information in our videos.  

Why did you apply for this internship?  

As I approached the end of my first year in college, I knew I wanted to explore technological platforms and gain hands-on experience working in teams and engaging with clients. The Digital Technology Internship program with LITS aligns perfectly with these goals, offering me the opportunity to work on various projects while contributing to the Bryn Mawr community. Not only that, during the process, I will also have the chance to receive valuable mentorship from professionals. Through the experience, I hope to develop practical skills and form meaningful connections that will support my growth both personally and professionally.  

What has been your favorite part of this internship? 

My favorite part of this internship has been the ILiADS Conference week, where I had a fun and enriching learning experience. During this week, I was able to attend interesting and informative pop-up workshops about web hosting and Python – both topics I’m interested in. The two dinners I had with other participants gave me the opportunity to get to know new people from different colleges and improve my communication skills. 

What is most rewarding about your internship? 

The most rewarding part about my internship is the opportunity to learn new technological tools alongside my teammates and apply them directly to our projects. Throughout this internship, I have gained exposure to many new platforms, such as Tableau, Adobe Creative Cloud, and WeVideo. Learning how to use these tools on the go has helped me strengthen my adaptability and my ability to learn quickly. It has also been incredibly fulfilling learning and navigating through challenges with my peers and receiving help from each other whenever we run up against a technical issue. 

Another very meaningful aspect about this internship that I believe is significant to my professional growth is the direct conversations I had with the project clients to discuss our progress. It was my first time communicating with professionals in this context, and these client meetings required me to clearly explain my ideas while thoughtfully responding to their questions. This experience has really enhanced my communication skills, teaching me how to express ideas more clearly, listen actively, and tailor my explanations to different audiences.