Name: Vigna Majmundar

Pronouns: She/Her

Semester of Internship: Summer 2025

Major: Information Systems 

Current Class Level: Senior

This semester I completed a(n)...: Internship 

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): Hughes, EchoStar Corporation 

Location of the Organization (City, State): Gaithersburg , MD

Title of position: Software Automation Intern 

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

My internship at Hughes Network Systems as a Field Services, Billing Automation, and Development Intern has been focused on transforming manual business processes through automation technology. During my summer internship, I worked closely with my mentor Dave Thompson to tackle a significant operational challenge where billing analysts were spending over five hours weekly on manual SAP data entry, a process that was both time-consuming and error-prone due to inconsistent data formats from different Project Managers across departments. My primary responsibility involved designing and implementing Hughes' first SAP automation solution using Robot Framework as the RPA engine, n8n for workflow orchestration, and Docker for containerization. On a typical day, I would start by analyzing existing business processes, identifying bottlenecks in the Salesforce-to-SAP workflow, and then developing automated solutions to eliminate manual intervention. I spent considerable time writing custom Python libraries and Robot Framework keywords to handle complex SAP GUI interactions, particularly focusing on transaction VA01 for sales order creation. The technical work required me to understand both the business logic behind order processing and the technical constraints of enterprise systems integration.

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

I first discovered Hughes Network Systems at UMBC's career fair in 2023, where I completed my initial internship with the company. That first internship experience gave me valuable exposure to Hughes' operations, company culture, and technology focus, while allowing me to build strong relationships with team members and demonstrate my capabilities in a professional environment. The positive experience and connections I made during my 2023 internship created a foundation for future opportunities with the organization. When I decided to pursue another internship for summer 2025, I leveraged the relationships and reputation I had established during my previous tenure at Hughes. I submitted my application on December 13th, 2024, using my former colleagues and supervisors as referrals who could speak to my work quality and cultural fit within the organization. Having that insider knowledge and established credibility with the company was invaluable in positioning myself as a strong candidate for the returning internship position.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?

UMBC Career Center, Career Fairs

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

What I've enjoyed most about my position at Hughes Network Systems is the incredible learning environment and the genuine care people show for interns. Everyone is so welcoming and warm, and what really stands out is how eager everyone is to teach me something new. Whether it's my mentor Dave Thompson taking time to explain complex SAP integrations, or analysts on the billing team walking me through their daily processes so I could better understand how to automate them, there's a culture of knowledge sharing that makes learning accelerated and enjoyable. The collaborative atmosphere has been particularly valuable as a returning intern. People remember me from my 2023 internship and are excited to see how I've grown, but they're also genuinely invested in helping me continue developing new skills. When I was struggling with certain Robot Framework concepts or trying to understand the nuances of n8n workflow orchestration, colleagues would take time from their busy schedules to sit down and help me work through problems. This wasn't just limited to my direct team - people from different departments would offer insights when they heard about the automation project I was working on. What makes this environment special is that the teaching goes both ways. While I'm learning enterprise technologies and business processes, my colleagues are also genuinely curious about the automation solutions I'm building and eager to understand how these tools could benefit their own work. This creates a dynamic where everyone feels valued for their expertise, regardless of their position or experience level. The fact that Hughes offered me the employee of the month recognition and extended my internship into a co-op position reflects this culture of investment in people's growth and development. It's an environment where you feel supported to take on challenging projects and know that people want to see you succeed.

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

I believe I've made a significant impact at Hughes Network Systems by solving a real operational problem that was affecting multiple teams daily. The SAP automation solution I built eliminated over 5 hours of weekly manual work per billing analyst, which translates to meaningful time savings that allow these professionals to focus on higher-value analysis and customer service activities rather than repetitive data entry. The 90% time reduction and 80% error decrease represent measurable improvements in both efficiency and quality that directly benefit the organization's bottom line and customer satisfaction. Beyond the immediate operational impact, I've established Hughes' first RPA capability, creating a technical foundation that the company can build upon for future automation initiatives. The Robot Framework, n8n, and Docker architecture I implemented provides a scalable model that other departments can adapt for their own process improvements. This represents a shift in how Hughes approaches repetitive manual tasks and positions them to leverage automation more broadly across their operations.

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

My biggest piece of advice is to leverage career fairs strategically and maintain those connections long-term. I first met Hughes at UMBC's career fair in 2023, completed an internship there, and then used those relationships to secure my return position in 2025. Many students treat career fairs as one-time events, but the real value comes from building genuine relationships and staying in touch with companies that interest you. Start your application process early and be prepared to wait. I applied on December 13th, 2024, and didn't hear back for a month. That waiting period can be stressful, but use it productively to keep developing relevant skills. Don't just submit applications and hope for the best - continue learning technologies and concepts that align with the roles you want. During interviews, focus on demonstrating your problem-solving approach rather than trying to prove you already know everything. When I interviewed at Hughes, they cared more about my willingness to learn new technologies like Robot Framework and n8n than my existing expertise with those specific tools. Show genuine curiosity about the company's challenges and how you might contribute to solving them. Once you land an internship, take initiative beyond your assigned tasks. My SAP automation project succeeded because I spent time understanding the broader business problem, not just the technical requirements. Talk to end users, ask questions about processes, and look for opportunities to add value. This approach led to my employee of the month recognition and co-op extension.

Be prepared to work with technologies you've never seen before. Enterprise environments often use specialized tools that aren't taught in university courses. Embrace that learning curve - it's often what makes the experience most valuable for your career development. Finally, document everything you do and create knowledge transfer materials. This shows professionalism and ensures your work has lasting impact, which strengthens your relationship with the organization for future opportunities.

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

What I loved most about my Hughes internship was the incredible people—I had the best mentors and colleagues who genuinely cared about my development and made me feel like part of the team from day one. The Career Center was instrumental in organizing the career fair where I first connected with Hughes in 2023, and their Practicum course helped me develop the professional communication skills to effectively showcase my technical accomplishments and build meaningful industry connections.

Video can be one of the most effective teaching tools you use, especially when every student can access the content. Captions and audio descriptions boost clarity, reinforce key ideas, and creative flexible learning pathways that benefit all learners. Compliance with the revised technical standards for the Americans with Disabilities Act is an added advantage, but the primary payoff is student success. And because these practices can fit naturally into your existing video recording workflows, even small improvements can make a meaningful difference in how students engage with your course.

Here are three practical ways you can make your videos more accessible using tools and workflows you already have.

1. Start with captions because everyone benefits!

Captions help students who are deaf or hard of hearing -- and they also help the students riding the bus, in the library, at work, or while a toddler naps across the room. Research shows:

• 80% of adults are more likely to finish a video with captions (Publicis Media, 2019)
• Most Gen Z students watch video in public -- 70% use captions when they are available (Mykhalevych, 2024)
• 75% of students use captioned videos as study aids (Linder, 2016)

Captions are universal design in action. Therefore, always make sure your videos minimally have captions available in the language that is spoken.

2. Always review and edit auto-captions

Sometimes accessibility is the difference between dinner and disaster. Here's an example from the Web Accessibility Initiative that shows how auto-captions can fail students. In one clip, the presenter said, "Broil on high for four to five minutes." But the auto-caption read, "Broil on high for 45 minutes."

One quick edit can completely change meaning. Auto-captions will eventually improve and advancements in AI and audio technology will help strengthen the quality and reliability. For now, it's important to review those auto-captions!

3. Add audio descriptions when visuals carry meaning

Captions make sound visible. Audio descriptions make visuals audible. If students need to see something to understand your content, such as a graph, a diagram, or a demonstration, that information must be spoken aloud with a description. Without audio description, when you say "As you can see here…" it does not provide clear enough information for someone who cannot see the graph. With audio description, one could say, "The line graph shows three trends over 20 years. The blue line increases from 10 to 45." 

In other words: if you closed your eyes and listened to your video, would you still learn something without seeing the content? If not, add the audio description. Accessible teaching is explicit teaching.

Accessible video matters. It takes about 15 minutes to fix captions for a 10-minute video and 30-45 minutes to add audio descriptions. Our new video platform, YuJa, allows you to generate auto-captions and edit them, and you can upload an audio description to publish a fully accessible video for your students. However, if you feel overwhelmed, start small. One video. One hour. That's it. The impact it has will not only meet legal requirements, but will also benefit 100 percent of all learners. 

Ready to take the first step? Visit UMBC's Digital Accessibility site or run an Ally course report today. Support is also available from Student Disability Services and Instructional Technology.

At left, the women's volleyball team. At right, sophomore Laura Fuehrer makes a play during the team's appearance at the NCAA Tournament versus Pitt.

Samantha- B.A. INDS 

Dear UMBC Community,

This is a reminder that starting Friday, December 12, UMBC will disable the ability to create new Pre-Approvals in the Legacy Travel System. All new travel pre-approvals must be submitted in SAP Concur beginning on this date.

If you are planning travel after spring break, please begin using SAP Concur now. We expect to fully retire the Legacy Travel System before the end of the spring semester.

Need support?

SAP Concur offers 24/7 assistance, including live chat, phone support, and a robust Help & Learning Center—available anytime, anywhere. Business Services is also available during normal business hours for UMBC-specific questions.

Resources

Training sessions, guides, policies, FAQs, and other support materials are available at travel.umbc.edu.

Secondary Note: Business Services & Accounts Payable Holiday Deadline

As a reminder from Business Services & Accounts Payable:

To ensure timely processing before the State of Maryland's end-of-year closure, the following items must be submitted to Business Services with all required approvals by close of business on Thursday, December 12:

• Payment Requests

• Invoices

• Travel Reimbursements

• Working Fund Requests

Items received after December 12 will be processed in the new calendar year due to State holiday processing pauses.

Thank you for your attention to these deadlines and for your cooperation.

Warm regards,
UMBC Business Services

Original Travel Post

Dear UMBC Community,

This is a reminder that starting Friday, December 12, UMBC will disable the ability to create new Pre-Approvals in the Legacy Travel System. All new travel pre-approvals must be submitted in SAP Concur beginning on this date.

If you are planning travel after spring break, please begin using SAP Concur now. We expect to fully retire the Legacy Travel System before the end of the spring semester.

Need support?

SAP Concur offers 24/7 assistance, including live chat, phone support, and a robust Help & Learning Center—available anytime, anywhere.
Business Services is also available during normal business hours for UMBC-specific questions.

Resources

Training sessions, guides, policies, FAQs, and other support materials are available at travel.umbc.edu.

Secondary Note: Business Services & Accounts Payable Holiday Deadline

As a reminder from Business Services & Accounts Payable:
To ensure timely processing before the State of Maryland's end-of-year closure, the following items must be submitted to Business Services with all required approvals by close of business on Friday, December 12:

• Payment Requests

• Invoices

• Travel Reimbursements

• Working Fund Requests

Items received after December 12 will be processed in the new calendar year due to State holiday processing pauses.

Thank you for your attention to these deadlines and for your cooperation.

Warm regards,
UMBC Business Services