Name:  DarcieAdams

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site:  Maryland Department of Disabilities

Position Title:  Youth Employment Policy Intern

Major or Program: Gender, Women's + Sexuality Studies and Political Science

Current Class Level:  Senior

Work Term:   Spring 2023

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities. 

Much of my day-to-day work involves doing preliminary research to inform the larger project my supervisor and I are working on together.  We are seeking to create a network of disabled students in higher education in order to connect students to the resources the Department of Disabilities has available for students, but also for the Department to be able to connect with students to inform their policy and project directions for the future.  Higher education students with disabilities is currently an untapped, almost inaccessible group of people for our government at the moment, as there is no governmental-educational support network for these students in the same way there are for k-12 students.  For this semester, we are seeking to develop and host a conference for university students with disabilities that will focus on disability policy and advocacy and employment resources MDOD can offer. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application? 

I came to this role in a pretty unusual way!  Last semester I took a fantastic Political Science topics class focused on mass juvenile incarceration that is taught by two members of the local Baltimore community, one of whom is the former Secretary of Juvenile Services, Sam Abed.  When I was starting the process of seeking an internship for this semester, my advisor Dr. Forestiere suggested I ask him if he knew of any opportunities related to disability, and he connected me to Secretary Beatty with the Department of Disabilities.  When I spoke to Secretary Beatty and discussed my career interests, she recognized that I had a lot of experience and interest in areas that Jade Gingerich, the Director of Employment, has been working in, and she then connected me to Jade.  Jade actually created this internship role specifically for me, so it's a great opportunity to work essentially in a tailor-made role that is helping me develop the exact skills and connections to the local community that I was seeking. 

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience? 

 Faculty Connections

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?  

 I have been connected to some really fantastic non-profits and organizations working in Maryland, and I really value the new connections I have to the people doing the work to make change for the disabled community.  I have also really enjoyed getting to understand how state government functions from the inside, and it's been really beneficial for me to be able to connect what I've learned in the classroom to a tangible experience.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe my work will produce substantial benefit for college students with disabilities down the line, as the network I am helping to create and the relationships we are trying to build with Maryland's Universities will help students have better awareness and access to MDOD's resources.  On the very local front, I will be leading by example, and working with my undergraduate student org the Disability Advocate Union to connect students to resources as my understanding and knowledge of them grows.  

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

We all have connections at UMBC just by virtue of being students here!  If you don't have a big or strong professional network, reach out to your professors - many of them are connected to work happening outside of UMBC.  You never know who they know, and it never hurts to ask if they have anyone to connect you to for new opportunities. 

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

I love getting to meet the people working on the ground to support the disabled people of Maryland, and I appreciate the opportunity to earn internship credit for my Political Science degree in the process! 

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Name:  Sushruta Shetty

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site:  Maryland Department of Health

Position Title: Data Engineer 

Major or Program: Data Science

Current Class Level:  Master's Student

Work Term: Spring 2023  

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities. 

 Currently, I have been assigned to work on various Maryland Datasets including violent crime dataset in Maryland from 1975 - 2020 to State Loans and Grant Dataset.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application? 

 I saw an open position for this role on Handshake and applied for it. Within 2 weeks of applying I received an interview call.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience? 

 UMBC Career Center, Career Fairs, HandShake

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?

 I enjoy the creative space that is provided to interns. We are not pinned down to certain daily tasks rather are encouraged to get our hands-on various technologies that can be implemented while we work on datasets.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

 My work comprises of exploring Maryland public data, such analysis help understand trends that happen within the state (or a county). These observations help Government build policies and implement services that are to the advantage of public. So I am indirectly trying to make life easier for Marylanders :)

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

 Do not lose hope, keep applying, take your chance; best things are right around the corner!

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

This position has helped me get my hands dirty with vast forms of data. Implement all my learnings and earn transcript recognition at the same time. 

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Name: Valeria Sofia Auza

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site:  Realistic Computing Inc. 

Position Title: 3D Animation , game, art object developer

Major or Program: Visual Arts- Animation B.A.

Current Class Level: Senior 

Work Term: Spring 2023   

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities. 

Create 3D object with Unity for Virtual Reality

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application? 

I found it in Handshake, I applied with my resume, and the next day I got a date for an interview. 

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience? 

Handshake

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?

The Teamwork, Organization, and compensation.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

With my knowledge in 3D animation.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

Don’t give up, apply everyday because somewhere a company is looking for a person like you.

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Name:  Atul Sharma

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site:  Aion Management LLC

Position Title:  Data Analyst

Major or Program: Information Systems

Current Class Level:  Master's Student

Work Term:   Spring 2023

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities. 

 I assist my senior manager in building customized report dashboards on PowerBI and perform other tasks assigned by him.

Attend calls or meetings and coordinate with other senior managers in building reports.

Gather information for reporting by combining data from various databases into a single destination table, running longer-running data processing queries across several databases, and using BI tools and dashboards to translate numerous and complex streams of information into clear, concise, and simple terms.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application? 

I heard about this position on May 22 and applied. After my resume was picked, I gave the online assessment, which was followed by 2 rounds of interviews. I was hired on 06/08/2022

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience? 

UMBC Career Center, Career Fairs, UMBCworks, Networking Events (UMBC Connects, Info Sessions, Arts with A Purpose, etc.), LinkedIn or Other Social Media

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?  

This position is constantly changing. I've been learning a lot of new skills that are not only job-related but also necessary to become a more desirable team member.

Since my arrival, the company has undergone a significant transformation in terms of the technology and platform it uses for operations, and I have been fortunate to be a part of it. I've learned a lot about data integration, cloud computing, and data warehouses, which are really crucial skills to learn in this day and age. Moreover, all of my senior managers and co-workers have been extremely helpful and accommodating, which is one of the best aspects of this company.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

This Co-op has, in my opinion, given me a sense of belonging to my work. I enjoy the challenges that are thrown at me, and I have always performed above expectations. This has given me a lot of confidence in my abilities and earned me the trust of my seniors. I am now an essential member of my team. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

Just believe in your skills and do not get disheartened by rejections. 

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

I believe the career center has done an excellent job for us students. The team has always been extremely accommodating and helpful. I suppose this internship has given me a better understanding of the work culture in the United States. I have gained a variety of skills that I do not believe I would have obtained without this internship. In my office, I've formed some wonderful personal and professional relationships, and I'm proud of what I've accomplished thus far. 

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Name:  Vidit Hitesh Gandhi

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: John Staurulakis, LLC 

Position Title: Data Analyst Intern 

Major or Program: Information System

Current Class Level: Master's Student 

Work Term: Fall 2022  

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities. 

Generate weekly reports and create dashboards highlighting the KPI for the VPs and other leaders to review. Create tools to help the team track their billable hours and learn NetSuite and assist the team in implementing NetSuite. Documentation of the new inhouse tool being created to track the regulatory requirements. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application? 

Got to know about it from a friend and applied with my resume directly to the hiring manager.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience? 

Personal Connection.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?  

I got to work with people from different backgrounds who were passionate about data and working in this field. My team was very cooperative and encouraged when during my initial days and made me feel welcomed. I also got an opportunity to interact and learn from the leaders of the organization by attending various high level meetings. I got to learn a lot and gain valuable industry experience.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I helped the team in data management and data visualization. The kind of work I did and assisted my team helped the higher management make better informed decisions to help the clients and in turn increase the revenue. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

KEEP APPLYING! This is even more important for international students. Do not get demotivated after seeing a couple of rejections or ghosting. Keep working on your resume, talk to seniors and get it reviewed by them and UMBC career center.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

“Work hard and be kind and amazing things will happen.” -Conan O’Brien 

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