With the boom of the IT sector in Charleston, SC, our students are presented with a variety of internship opportunities. In the Computer Science department at The College of Charleston, we strive towards integrating our students with industry within the region before they graduate. Here are some testimonials from students who obtained internships in the Lowcountry and beyond in Summer 2017.
Savannah Tracy, Computer Science Major, Blackbaud: I worked for Blackbaud as a Product Management Intern . I would meet with others on my team daily to discuss our goals and initiatives for the product we were working on. Every two weeks, a new feature was released. I worked with mixpanel to track how often clients were using our product and specifically what features they were using the most. I also wrote and sent out a survey to over 2,000 clients about customer success and adoption to help figure out why some clients were not logging into our web version. It was overall a great experience and I learned a lot. I loved Blackbaud. They were always so friendly, welcoming, and willing to help me when I needed it. If you were willing to work hard, meet deadlines, and do your best- it always ended up paying off. There were many fun events and volunteer activities to enjoy. As a product management intern, not only did I learn a lot about my own position but also about all the other ones too because I was always working with so many others and coming together for ideas. It was a great experience.
Brett Perrine, Computer Science Major, Blackbaud: I am involved in a few different projects that involve the later stages of the software development life cycle. One major project has been writing unit tests for their existing repositories to ensure their code is robust and functions properly. I have also been working in the “maintenance” stage of SDLC while resolving issues identified by static analysis tools, like SonarQube, such as bugs and system vulnerabilities. I recently have been working on a Python script to automate face cropping of employee photos using an open source computer vision library. This way, when employees are hired, their badge photo will be instantly cropped and applied to their personal Workday Profile. As always, there has been some documentation along the way. I think both the company and the experience are fantastic. There is certainly something to be said about working for a company that works to promote wellness and philanthropy around the world. The employees are kind, intelligent, and welcoming while their facilities are stellar. Their specialized internship program gives us the ability to meet with a multitude of high level executives and hear about their journey as well as advice for us moving forward. I would recommend it to any of our students and encourage other students to apply as early in their career as possible.
Courtney Cox, Computer Information Systems Major, Blackbaud: This summer marked my first full year working in the Corporate IT department at Blackbaud HQ. My duties have changed over the past year, and I am lucky enough to find my various strengths in the IT space. Specifically, I have lead a roadmap project migrating acquisition accounts through our different instances of SalesForce. This includes discovering and solving broken integrations, bad data, and outdated practices all while documenting my work for future employees. I work directly with offshore Salesforce developers, staff developers, and various departments to achieve one true instance of SalesForce. I am also earning my SalesForce Admin 201 Certification under the guidance of my director. Blackbaud is an amazing, nurturing environment to work with continuous opportunities for growth. Regardless of leadership level, all employees I encounter are more than willing to teach me and help achieve my goals regardless of what they may entail. One of my favorite memories is running my first 10k with my manager and coworkers by my side. They are committed to personal, professional, and business growth. Culture is a key mechanism in any company, and Blackbaud’s culture is like no other!
Allison Hansen, Data Science Major, Blackbaud: I was engaged in marketing analytics following the implementation and adoption of a sales enablement tool. Blackbaud is an amazing company that works to support non-profits with a wide range of software solutions. Blackbaud provides interns with amazing experiences both in and out of the office!
Seth Stoudenmier, Masters in Computer and Information Sciences Major, Booz Allen Hamilton: I was part of a multidisciplinary team of students tasked with creating a mobile application and the business behind it. The idea is pitched to a panel of judges who look at presentations from every intern team across the country and select a winning team. Booz Allen Hamilton is a company where everyone is well educated and the work is interesting. The best part of the internship is that it focuses on introducing you to BAH, while also giving you freedom to approach your problem from any direction that the intern team decides.
Robert Chernek, Computer Information Systems Major, Charles County MD Government Radio systems: I was programming their radio systems for emergency vehicles. It was great! I loved working there. It was a great environment with fun people.
Anthony Morrell, Computer Science Major, Charleston County Public Works: I performed several routine activities previously done by hand that were in need of digitalization and/or automation. A portion of the county’s historical data was stored in a now-unsupported database format and had to be transferred to a modern storage method. Not only did I get real-world experience with my field, but I also got insight into the way the government manages its infrastructure. The people were very friendly and the experience was educational.
Mackenzie Schaich, Data Science Major, Clutch Technologies: This summer I have had the amazing opportunity to work at Clutch Technologies as a Fleet Financial and Asset Management Intern. Clutch is an automotive subscription company based out of Atlanta, Georgia that manages a fleet of over six hundred cars that members can “flip” in and out of whenever they please. Clutch is also developing an innovative technology platform to help car dealerships around the country adopt the subscription model effortlessly and efficiently. As an intern, my daily tasks included purchasing vehicles to add to our fleet, tracking financial data, and building SQL views for data analysis. Clutch Technologies was founded in 2014 and has been growing at an impressive rate ever since. While the company is small in its number of employees, its operations are large-scale and fast-paced. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Clutch and have learned a tremendous amount about the automotive and technology industries. I would love to work for the company again but perhaps in a different position. I may consider applying for an internship on the development/engineering team next summer.
Rachel McNeely, Data Science Major, Duke Energy: I was working in the nuclear IT department at Duke Energy. Most days I would observe tickets being resolved in the field. I was also involved in asset management and supervisor iPad deployment and troubleshooting. On the technical skill side, I gained extensive knowledge about the hardware of computers, which generally outside the realm of my degree. Additionally, the people I met and the interactions I observed in the work environment were invaluable to me as I prepare for future jobs.
Benjamin Muldrow, Computer Science Major, Launchpeer: I was engaged in Fullstack javascript-based web and mobile development. Great experiences working with local entrepreneurs and getting started with Fullstack development.
Ethan Waugh, Computer Science Major, Liberty Business Associates, LLC: I observed and helped with digital forensics processes. I provided help on a proposal for a contract and performed regular file and information organization. I learned a lot about how a business runs, and about the Defense Contracting industry as a whole. Liberty Business Associates is a good company, with a good feel for the industry.
Joshua Nichols, Computer Information Systems Major, Mercedes-Benz Vans: IT Project Management and Job Shadowing. It’s a great, open-desk environment. Everyone is really friendly and always happy to help. I’ve learned so much this summer about working with others and how to seek out information and organize.
Hillary McLaurin, Computer Information Systems Major, Mikrotron in Bavaria, Germany: I’m helping to update a web app on the company’s website using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and angular JavaScript. I think the company is excellent and I feel that the experience I am gaining here will really help me in the future.
Mac Knight, Computer Science Major, MUSC Cybersecurity Intern: I performed security assessments on new hospital purchases, and responded to security incidents such as phishing attempts and malware infections. Great experience. I got to see how an information security office operates at an enterprise level.
Tretton Hudson, Computer Science Major, NASA’s Goddard Space and Flight Center: I am working with the Space Geodesy Project, more specifically I am characterizing an All Sky camera to determine the possible role it could play in helping automate a new system of satellite laser ranging telescopes, called Space Geodesy Satellite Laser Ranging (SGSLR). I find Goddard Space and Flight Center to be an incredible place to work. You are surrounded by extremely driven individuals who work day in and day out to progress the world of science. I have had such an incredible experience working along side of these individuals and getting a taste of what it’s like to be a NASA Scientist.
Hannah Posch, Computer Science Major, netGALAXY Studios: I worked on projects featuring graphic design, 3D modeling, and AR development. I had a great experience and enjoyed working with the team at netGalaxy Studios.
Dylan Waks, Data Science Major, Object Computing Inc: I was engaged in creating and writing the code examples for the API of a small footprint, garbage free compact 1 Java web server and message routing platform. Also, I have been working with the platform to create examples and demos for using different hardware pieces from LEDs to touch sensors to ultra-sonic range finders with Raspberry Pis. OCI, an open source software development company, has given me invaluable real world experience. Not only have I learned about collaborative work through GitHub, but using Maven and Maven repositories. This internship has taught me what to expect when I enter the work force and has helped me identify what I need to learn and improve at before graduating.
Timothy Tanner, Computing in the Arts Major, PokitDok, Inc: Front End Software Engineer/EDI Intern. It was an incredible learning experience, and I enjoyed applying my studies.
Kylie Wehunt, Computer Information System Major, Royal Bank of Canada: I assisted the office manager with day to day operations. I also learned Xcode and developed a few apps. It was incredible. The people I met were amazing and all so great at their jobs. I worked at the Royal Bank of Canada Innovation Lab in Florida where computer programmers created programs and apps for the bank using emerging technology.
Sarah Nicholson, Computer Science Major, Savannah River Remediation: I researched different reporting services in order for them to decide whether or not they want to switch from the current service they are with and converted reports to the two services they were contemplating switching to. I worked with other reports also, pulling data from the company’s databases and writing SQL to display the information in the reports that the customers wanted to see. I think that working at Savannah River Remediation at Savannah River Site was a fantastic opportunity, and I gained great experience from it. I worked with something that I had never worked with before which helped me to broaden my horizons and give me a glimpse into a different field of computer science. SRR is a very professional and personable company, and I thoroughly enjoyed working there.
Gabrielle Cozart, Computer Science Major, SCANA: I was developing mobile applications using Ionic for internal company use. Our team focuses on cross platform development and managing external and internal applications on company phones. SCANA overall is a good company to work for. They treat their employees with great care and are always focused on the safety of others. This makes it feel like the company is a large family that will continually support you. My experiences this summer were great. I worked on important projects to the company while learning along the way and improving skills I already had. Working really hard at the company shows, that is why I will be continuing my internship part-time during the school year at their Charleston office.
Jasmine Randolph , Computer Information Systems Major, SCANA: I worked on a team that supports web application for gas operations. On my team, I worked on web applications using Visual Studio. I worked on a lot of error handling as well as doing some reporting for my team when needed. I think SCANA is a great place to intern and/or work for! They really made me feel like I was a part of the team and I truly learned a lot. It was so nice getting real world experience with real world results.
Maz Little, Computer Science Major, South State Bank: I am an intern in the Project Management Office under the director of the department. I have been helping to run training sessions for on boarding employees, meetings to refresh department documentation, keep up with resource management, revise business requirements, and otherwise assist in day-to-day activities in the department. I’ve really loved working at South State. Everyone is incredibly nice and very invested in helping me learn about what different opportunities are available in project management as well as how to work in different areas of project management.
Mary Washington, Data Science Major, SPAWAR: I was participating in their STEM outreach program and raising the interests of STEM topics in our youth. I also learned much of how the government works and was able to see some upcoming technology. SPAWAR is a great institution and everyone has been supportive. I don’t know if I would have been able to see some of the amazing things that they do, if I didn’t take an internship with them.