Interns of Silicon Valley 2018 (Part 3)
Compiled by Kendrick Umstattd
To recognize and highlight the 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.
In this third installment of the four part Interns series, you’ll meet four new interns and learn the various ways that each of them found their own passion for STEM.
Payton Bradsky | Santa Clara University
Internship: Software Engineering Intern, Google
Payton’s first tech discovery was born out of trying to sneak online to play a computer game when she was young. Payton’s dial-up internet connection wouldn’t go through, and before she knew it, her mom had come around the corner with the landline phone in her hand and a look of frustration on her face. Making the most of an awkward situation, Payton learned how dial-up internet worked that day. Payton’s fascination with technology only grew after that, as she dedicated her spare time to hobbies like building cabinets with her grandfather and toy roller coasters for her brothers. Her love for technology, though, didn’t save her from imposter syndrome when she started college in Silicon Valley. Coming from a small town in South Dakota with limited exposure to tech, Payton thought coding involved typing 0’s and 1’s. Amazed by her classmates’ background knowledge, she decided to be inspired, instead of intimidated, by her more experienced classmates, and she worked hard to catch up. When one of her professors later chose her to work out a complicated problem in front of her classmates, she knew that her hard work had paid off.
“One of my greatest struggles is with ‘impostor syndrome.’ When it comes to work, school, or even friendships, I often feel like I got unbelievably lucky. I distinctly remember the challenge of starting school in Silicon Valley.
I grew up in a small town in South Dakota with very limited exposure to tech — I legitimately believed coding involved typing in 0’s and 1’s. When I started school, I was intimidated by other students who had been coding since middle school, but I was also extremely motivated by them.
I worked hard to catch up to all of my brilliant classmates. Although I still struggle with believing in my technical skills, I’ve come to believe that success requires a balance of being motivated to improve, being proud of what I have accomplished, and being confident in what I can achieve going forward.”
Recommendations: Book, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg; Movie, Good Will Hunting
Victoria Wei | Texas A&M University
Internship: Software Engineering Intern, Google
In high school, Victoria took an introductory Java programming course that opened her eyes to the science of problem solving. She was struck by the fact that a single problem can be solved efficiently in many different ways. The understanding that there are many problems yet to be solved motivated her to pursue computer science. Now that she has entered the field, she has a chance to start developing solutions to some of these problems herself, but she certainly hasn’t felt she is alone in her endeavors. Whenever she gets stuck on a problem, Victoria asks questions. Although she was unsure what the culture of the technology sector would be like, she has been heartened to discover that software developers openly communicate their ideas with one another and work collaboratively to solve the world’s problems with code.
“Whenever I get stuck on a problem and don’t know where else to go, I always ask questions. I think a general rule that I’ve always followed is that whenever I get stuck on a problem for more than an hour, I go and ask someone about it and see if she can provide some insight.”
Recommendation: Book, Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
Madeline Briere | Duke University
Internship: Software Engineering Intern on Travel Ads, Google
Madeline grew up in a family where STEM was known to be very important. Her mom, a neuroscience professor at the University of Connecticut, used to help Madeline and her siblings with experiments. At the same time, her dad, an entrepreneur, was more of the belief that questions should be answered with tangible solutions rather than research. This upbringing made it easy for Madeline to decide what she wanted to study when it came time to declare a college major: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. In this field of study, she could delve deeper into how to integrate both hardware and software, and research and concrete solutions. Her only concern was that, by the time she entered the workforce, all of the interesting problems would be solved. As she has studied more about the field, though, she has learned this is not the case. Almost every day she stumbles upon another interesting question that she wants to help find the answer to.
“While my siblings and I designed controlled experiments with our mother, we created exciting new inventions with our dad. From electronic-detecting laundry baskets (to avoid accidentally putting your phone through the wash) to flexible winter gloves (for warmth and freedom of motion), if we could come up with it, we would make it.”
Recommendation: How to Create a Mind: the Secret of Human Thought Revealed by Ray Kurzweil
Veronica Lin | Stanford University
Internship: User Experience (UX) Research Intern, Google
By the time she was in fourth grade, Veronica was already breaking into the “boys club” of robotics. Although she was outnumbered, she didn’t question her science and math know-how. This interest in STEM led her, years later, to select computer science as a college major. Comparing herself to her peers, she began to worry that she wasn’t nerdy enough to be a software developer. Fortunately, her older brother was studying mechanical engineering at the time and encouraged her to pursue computer science because he thought she would like it. She did and thoroughly enjoyed studying alongside a group of talented and ambitious women at Wellesley College. Pursuing her major wasn’t what Veronica had anticipated it would be: it integrated many fields of study distinct from programming. Over the course of her education and work experience, Veronica came to learn that there are an unlimited number of ways that she can make a difference using her STEM skills. Her research now sits at the intersection of children, learning, technology, and equity. She loves her work, so she is glad she didn’t shy away from it simply because it is not what she originally expected.
“As someone who works at the intersection of several disciplines, including education, technology, and psychology, it’s sometimes challenging to be perceived as credible with experts on all fronts. I once worked on a project where I was not tagged as a technology expert, despite my computer science degree. By speaking up for myself and pointing to my past work, I was able to receive recognition that matched my experience.”
Recommendation: Book, The Power of Their Ideas by Deborah Meier; Podcast, How I Built This
