What first made you decide to pursue an engineering degree?
I went into Computer Science because I like to solve problems/puzzles.
What were two major (ongoing or temporary) challenges you faced while studying for your major and what did you do to overcome them?
I didn’t take Computer Sciences classes in high school or have a background in doing coding on my own so going into the major I had to learn everything from scratch. I was able to get by with the help of good study groups, teachers and TAs!
If you could travel back in time to when you were in college and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
During my first degree (International Studies, BA) I wasn’t involved in any extracurricular activities so when I came back for my Computer Science, BS I knew I wanted to be more involved and I’m glad I joined SWE!
How has your career success been benefitted or affected by participating with SWE as a student?
I was able to get my resume in front of my current employer through the SWE Evening with Industry event which provided more face time opportunities than just a quick pitch at the job fair.
As an employee for Goldman Sachs, what would you say are the top applicant traits the company looks for when hiring Computer Science employees?
Ability to collaborate and innovate to solve dynamic challenges in the technical space.
Studying for your degree in college can be very different from using that knowledge in the workplace.
What do you think students today need to prepare themselves for and expect?
A lot of school assignments can feel small or maybe not as exciting when they are assigned and not chosen – if you have the time to build one out more or do your own it will give you a more realistic experience of the software development cycle. Doing an internship is also a really great way to get that exposure!
As a former SWE Treasurer and current Goldman Sachs representative at our events, what would you like to see our SWE section improve on?
Something the SWE leadership wanted to do better when I was at school was to do more collaborative events with NSBE and SHPE groups. SWE even offers a special joint membership!