During our internships, we each used technology to solve real-world business challenges across industries. From software engineering, financial modeling, to business strategy and sales data management, we worked with data to drive decision-making and improve profitability for different services and businesses. Join us as we share our internship journeys, the variety of tools and strategies we used, and the lessons we learned along the way. You’ll gain valuable insights into how data and technology are transforming industries, along with practical advice for future interns. We’ll also touch on the ethical side of AI in education, exploring the balance between innovation and responsibility.

Moderator: Timothy Chumley, Associate Professor of Mathematics on the John Stewart Kennedy Foundation

Data Management for Sales
Giovanna Giuliano ’25, Statistics major, Ancient Studies minor

Navigating the World of Private Equity: Lessons from an Internship Experience
Vanessa Dickson ’25, Economics & French double major

Software and Data Engineering In A High-Impact Data Analytics Team
Julia Ho ’25, Computer Science & Mathematics double major

Interdisciplinary Application of AI Models in Education
Yifei Chen ’26, Politics & Statistics double major

Speaker name: Giovanna Giuliano
Title: Data Management for Sales I completed an internship with 1847 Financial, a financial services company that offers life insurance policies and wealth management. I was there on the data management side of things aiding one of their seasoned financial advisors. I worked on maximizing use of their customer relationship management software (a Salesforce competitor called SmartOffice), improving their data records, and using SQL. Along the way I learned what it’s like to work in a business setting, as I hadn’t done that before, and I also learned some foundational sales principles that are relevant to all sorts of interpersonal networking contexts.

Speaker name: Vanessa Dickson
Title: Navigating the World of Private Equity: Lessons from an Internship Experience “This presentation offers a candid and introspective exploration of interning in the financial sector, based on my personal experience at a Private Equity Firm. It delves into the preparation, challenges, and valuable lessons learned throughout the internship, from financial modeling to participating in meetings. The narrative provides insights into the dynamic world of corporate finance and highlights the adaptability and resilience necessary to navigate its complexities. Join me as I share an unfiltered account of my internship, providing a glimpse into the real-life experiences of working at a Private Equity Firm!”

Speaker name: Julia Ho
Title: Software and Data Engineering In A High-Impact Data Analytics Team
Last summer, I interned at Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, Washington as a Software Engineer in the Windows 365 Data Science & Analytics Team. Windows 365 is an emerging Microsoft service that allows users to connect to a Windows PC virtually. My project focused on analyzing a big dataset of Windows 365 usage and developing models, which are projected to help save Microsoft millions of dollars per month in costs, using statistical and Machine Learning techniques. Come join me in my presentation to learn more about my journey to Microsoft, my experience working at a big tech corporation, how it was like to work on a big data project as a software engineer, the challenges and rewards of doing both data science and software engineering, and how the Mount Holyoke curriculum has prepared me well for it.

Speaker name: Yifei Chen
Title: Interdisciplinary Application of AI Models in Education
This presentation delves into my experience as a business growth intern at ByteDance’s AI education division, focusing on the growth and commercialization strategies employed by leading internet companies. My work involved a comprehensive competitive analysis of education platforms, A/B testing to refine user engagement, and data-driven analysis of user behavior, which directly informed product development. I will also explore how AI technologies, including AIGC (AI-Generated Content) and AI models, are transforming the education landscape. Lastly, I will discuss the benefits and potential challenges of using AI in education, while exploring possible future directions for AI-driven educational solutions.