Sabina Miezah
Title 1: Breaking Into Tech: A Look into the Tech Life as a Microsoft Intern
Abstract 1:
I spent my summer in Seattle, interning at Microsoft in their Explore program, I worked under the Hosts Operating Systems team in Azure. My task was to implement a tool that collects crash-related information and is called after every Kernel Soft Reboot procedure and can be used as a diagnostic tool to resolve future crashes into a migrated database in Rust. I started each in-person at my office where I would do daily stand up meetings with my mentors and occasionally my manager. This was my moment to give updates on my project, communicate on the areas where I was blocked and ask questions quickly before starting my day. My experience at Microsoft was a new experience but it taught me many valuable lessons that I cannot wait to bring into my internship experience this summer. I learned to ask the right questions and to show a continued interest in the company and develop a very robust knowledge about my tool and supplementary and/or dependent tools that it uses. I learned that even when I am lost about something, I should still show an eagerness to learn about it and I should encourage regular check-ins and communication with my manager so that my performance is never sacrificed. I also learned to be more comfortable with challenging myself in my technical skills.

 Hong Anh Nguyen
Title 2: An insight into a summer in Seattle as a Data intern
Abstract 2:
Last summer, I interned as a Business Intelligence Engineer at Amazon. The team I worked with was under Amazon Web Services (AWS); thus, most of our focus was on Amazon cloud services. During the internship, I worked on a specific project on a pricing uplift model, which determines the price conversion for customers when switching between different server and database products on the cloud. My daily responsibilities include understanding the operation of the AWS database, extracting data, and using them to build the data model. One of the biggest challenges I encountered was navigating among resources and asking the right questions, specifically when I was learning how the system works and as there were many approaches I could take. From the internship, I learned to perform independent research while communicating with other team members.

Belinda Tsiagbe
Title 3: The Role of Communication in Wealth Management: My Key Takeaways
Abstract 3:
Last summer, I participated in an internship that introduced me to the tools and processes entailing consumer and wealth management. Interning at Goldman Sachs in New York provided outstanding exposure to personal financial planning, asset allocation and sales and trading. To enhance overall efficiency and assist with risk management, I ran and analyzed Excel reports for the preceding business day’s trades and activities. Additionally, I collaborated with my team of six interns to research and allocate assets for a trust based on clients’ goals, time horizons, and risk tolerances among other factors. We presented the final project to the senior leadership of the division and I am grateful for the opportunity to enhance my time management, excel, and presentation skills. Overall, I acquired substantial knowledge and my presentation will elaborate on my experience adjusting to corporate America with a liberal arts background as well as some key takeaways.

Renee Russo
Title 4: My Internship with a Honey Company in India
Abstract 4:
This summer I did a remote internship as a Global Trade and Trend Analyst for Under the Mango Tree Honey in Mumbai. I developed primary and secondary market research of product lines in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. I analyzed trade barriers/ regulations and global marketplaces (online and offline) to understand systems of distribution and built a dossier of over 50 potential distributors while researching market competitors and cold calling. As it was a remote internship my day-to-day responsibilities varied but involved mostly research online and in various libraries in my home city of Chicago. When I was not doing literature review based research I would go in person to conduct market based research in Chicago stores. Much of my internship was also spent planning the goals and schedule of the research. I met with the CEO weekly to go over my work and adjust my scope and focus. I personally learned about how to set my own schedule and communicate with businesses while conducting market research.

 Antonia Taylor
Title 5: A Story of Successful Professional Self Advocacy @ Evoque Investments
Abstract 5:
Last summer I interned at Evoque Investments, an investment, financial advising, and asset management company based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. As a start-up company, there are a wide array of tasks that extend beyond the capacity of higher level positions. My job was to address these tasks focussing on learning finance, marketing, and research and development. I explored finance, recording the company’s debt pricing and reporting Initial Public Offerings, every week. I engaged in marketing by designing company bumper stickers, business cards, and birthday cards. I endeavored in a research project, examining sustainable investing strategies like ESG and evaluating the responsibility of every company that Evoque is invested in. The internship challenged my professionalism and ability to self advocate when I realized that the unpaid position did not meet my financial needs. I used my support system for advice, then requested a wage with confidence. I received their investment in me with gratitude, resulting in the team’s ultimate respect for me and elevated respect for myself.