Name:  Suhetu Ring

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: CloudLeap Technologies

Position Title: Data Science Intern

Major or Program: MPS Data Science

Current Class Level: Master’s Student

Work Term: Spring 2023

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities. 

CloudLeap Technologies being a small scale Big Data company, my internship responsibilities vary and I'm expected to wear many hats. I am required to code solutions using multiple technologies such as Python, Apache Spark and leverage Machine Learning principles. One of the most interesting works I've been involved in here was the 'VETAssist' project which was developed and presented by me at the 'TOP Summit 2023' hosted by the US Census Bureau during Feb 22-24 this year. It was an amazing experience during which I learnt a lot. I was constantly involved in communicating with product advocates, user base in Puerto Rico and government advisors who guided our company to developing a 'Minimum Viable Product' for the Summit. It really put our company out there and was a head turner. Currently I'm handling the responsibility of handling multiple Government Project Opportunity Vehicles such as GSA EBuy, SAM.gov for our company to find project opportunities.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application? 

I had applied through UMBCworks last summer during June 2022 for a Summer Internship, which has been extending till date until May 2023. I'm grateful for that. After that, I was called for an in-person interview which tested my Apache Spark knowledge and my past experience in the Data Science field.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience? 

UMBCworks

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?  

Handling multiple roles and taking up work in fields I've never really explored is what I feel I've enjoyed the most. I've enjoyed utilizing my hard skills as well as developing tons of soft skills like communication, presentation, planning which according to my manager is really useful in the professional sector.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe I've made noticable project advancements for CloudLeap in the Big Data field. Because of the work I've been doing here, we gathered audience, made connections and are on the process of establishing ourselves in the Big Data Sector, of course with the help and guidance of our whole team at CloudLeap.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

I would recommend feeling confident in whatever role or position you're applying to. As students we need to have self confidence in our knowledge and ourselves generally.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

The Career Center really gives us the platform to develop ourselves professionally. They do this by holding workshops, recommending opportunities and inviting companies over for talks. All of this really guides us and makes us understand how we need to obtain the skills needed for professional progression.

Check out this post on our social media platforms!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and LinkedIn 

#UMBCintern 

Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Monday

Hala Algrain

Degree: MPS, Health IT; Graduate Certificate in Data Science
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Post-grad plans: Ph.D. in information systems, UMBC

Supportive faculty and staff mentors helped Hala Algrain find her way on what she describes as a long journey to a career that fits her values. 

While pursuing a master’s degree in health information technology, Algrain honed her interests and reconnected with a love of research and teaching. She currently works as a research assistant in the Health Data Lab of Ian Stockwell, associate professor of information systems. She felt an immediate connection to the work, which aligns with her goal of creating intelligent human-centered health systems that address patient needs. Her experience in the lab prompted her to change career plans. Instead of entering industry, she will pursue a Ph.D. in information systems at UMBC. 

Algrain also accessed professional development services and found faculty who guided her to classes that fit her interests and opened new opportunities. “Shout out to the Office of International Students and Scholars,” she says. “They really do have your back.”

What activity, experience, or co-curricular at UMBC was particularly important to you?

“I’ve valued working as a teaching assistant and a research assistant. Connecting with students as a teaching assistant rekindled my love for academia. I enjoyed being able to facilitate another student’s learning experience.”

Is there a particular academic achievement you’re most proud of?

“I’m proud of persevering through a lot of professional dead ends and continuously seeking a higher standard for the level of impact of health systems. It’s incredibly reassuring and exciting to find mentors at UMBC who have the same values of conducting research with real-world impact.”

• Use information from your resume to complete the Education, Headline, Summary, Coursework, and Extracurricular Activities sections. 
• Include a headshot photo of you alone-- it's easy, and you could take it yourself from your phone, or borrow a camera from the digital media lab in the AOK library
• Add  a skills section where you can highlight particular skills in which you excel. Additionally, connections can endorse you for particular skills.