Interns of Silicon Valley 2018 (Part 1)
Compiled by Kendrick Umstattd
Every summer, students from around the world flock to Silicon Valley for an opportunity to help shape the future of the technology industry. Through summer internships at tech companies big and small, these students are busy gaining hands-on experience in building products and businesses. To recognize and highlight this next generation of future leaders in our industry, Women of Silicon Valley is bringing back “Interns of Silicon Valley”, a series of profiles on interns from across the tech landscape.
As a first installment in the series, we’re introducing you to four software engineering interns at Google. From their first robotics classes to the challenges that they have overcome, you’ll get a glimpse of their journeys so far and what they aspire to accomplish in the future.
Apoorva Dornadula | Stanford University
Internship: Software Engineering Intern on Research and Machine Intelligence, Google
At the beginning of Apoorva’s graduate career at Stanford, she had intended to specialize in computer security. She realized, however, that she was more fascinated by artificial intelligence and its associated security challenges. With less experience in this area than her peers, Apoorva initially wondered if she was out of her league in the field. To combat these uncertainties, Apoorva sought out extra opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of her area of study. One such opportunity was doing research in Professor Fei-Fei Li’s Stanford Vision Lab. When she stopped worrying about how she measured up and shifted her focus to learning as much as she could, Apoorva was able to build her confidence in herself and her abilities.
“I never realized how interdisciplinary STEM is until I started college.”
Recommendations: Book, Origin by Dan Brown; Movie, The Imitation Game
Roksana Baleshzar | Pennsylvania State University
Internship: Software Engineering Intern, Google
Roksana was in middle school when she became interested in technology. By the end of high school, this interest was so strong that it gave her the courage to take the leap and immigrate to the United States from Iran to pursue her studies. Although the language barrier was difficult to overcome, she wanted to learn more, so she worked to connect with those around her every day. When she attended her first theoretical computer science conference in the United States, she was surprised to find that only ten percent of the attendees were women. She hopes to help reach the gender parity in technology fields that is common in Iran.
“I became interested in technology through Olympiad in Informatics in middle school and have loved it ever since.”
Recommendation: Book, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
Dessie DiMino | California Institute of Technology
Internship: Engineering Practicum Intern, Google
Dessie first became interested in technology at a young age, spending time working on robots. When she was older, while her brother was pursuing a major in mechanical engineering, she talked with him about his love for coding. These discussions made her realize that she wanted to learn more. Although it was difficult for Dessie to find opportunities nearby for her to learn to code, her family supported her interest, taking her to classes and summer camps where she could delve into computer science and engineering further. Dessie knows that learning to code can be life-changing, which is why she now volunteers for organizations dedicated to inspiring the next generation of computer scientists.
“I was fortunate to have parents who were willing to help me travel to find classes and summer camps where I could delve into computer science and engineering.”
Recommendation: Movie, The Fifth Estate
Anqi Lu | Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Internship: Software Engineering Intern, Google
From counting and solving equations to drawing geometric graphs, Anqi has always loved math. When she arrived at college, however, she didn’t know what she wanted to major in. Following the lead of her friends, she chose computer science. At first, she felt unsure of her abilities, and this uncertainty was exacerbated by comments from male peers that women can’t be computer scientists. Turning to a Women in Computer Science club, Anqi found a community where female students build each other up. This group gave Anqi the confidence she needed.
For those uncertain of their own abilities, Anqi would say that STEM is not as difficult as one might think. Ignore the stereotypes. She believes that if you have an interest in STEM, you should go for it.
“I joined Women in Computer Science on campus and found encouragement and support from other female computer science students. After gaining confidence, everything else came easy.”
Recommendations: Book, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut; Movie, Yi Yi ; Podcast, This American Life
