Break Through Tech DC

An extra shout out to Break Through Tech DC for connecting us with these four exceptional students! I highly recommend the Sprinternship program - we can’t wait to participate again next year!

Through Break Through Tech DC's micro-internship program, four University of Maryland students developed AI features to make Goodshuffle's client onboarding even smoother. They also found a friend and mentor in former Sprintern Abril Arias (B.S. '24, computer science). "We would always go to [Abril] first if we ran into an error or if there was something we didn’t know," said sophomore computer science major Helena Tesfaye. "She also talked with us about her time at UMD, her other internships and how she came to Goodshuffle full-time." #CareerDevelopment #Microinternship #ClientOnboarding #ArtificialIntelligence #Mentorship #UMD Department of Computer Science, UMD

Four UMD students developed AI features to make Goodshuffle's client onboarding even smoother—a project that former Sprintern Abril Arias (B.S. '24, computer science) will bring to fruition. “It was a very full-circle moment," Abril said. "I’m happy to move their work forward over the next few months and implement these features that they worked so hard to create." Read more about Helena Tesfaye, Audrey Nguezet Gouanet, Han Lin and Christina Kwon's Sprinternship experience: https://lnkd.in/eiUaUw6n #AI #ClientOnboarding #SoftwareEngineering #Mentoring #UMD Break Through Tech

I’m incredibly honored to be part of Break Through Tech DC at UMD’s 2025 Sprinternship program! Working with the University of Maryland Libraries this January has taught me so much about web development, effective collaboration, and how libraries operate. Over a 3-week sprint, I worked with three other Sprinterns to design and build a replacement IP manager web application in Python and Django. In particular, we created a database, a REST API, and an administrative UI. My favorite part of the project was working on a function for checking if an IP address is allowed to access a specific digital resource, a core part of the application’s business logic. Being embedded into a software development team exposed me to various aspects of the collaborative work that goes on behind the scenes to support an application from design to production. I learned about using Git for pull requests and reviews, Jira for issue management, and different forms of verbal and written communication. Through this experience, I’ve realized how important it is to work on a project that’ll make a positive impact. When the application goes live, many faculty and students across campus will have a better experience accessing digital collections through the Libraries’ sites and databases! Thank you to Break Through Tech DC at UMD, my internship supervisor Ben Wallberg, my mentors Peter Eichman and Erik Jones, and my fellow Sprinterns Aatish Gupta, Mackenzie Kilgore, and Dorian Mkam. I learned so much in just three weeks, and I’m grateful for this amazing opportunity!

I recently completed my Sprinternship at University of Maryland Libraries where I had the opportunity to work on an impactful project alongside an incredible team. Our focus was on migrating an existing IP Manager to a Python/Django implementation. IP Manager is used to manage access to various digital resources of the libraries based on the IP Address of the client. Through this project, I gained hands-on experience in: • Backend development using Django, where I worked with databases and built a REST API. • Worked with forms to build dynamic, user-friendly web pages that were integrated with the database, allowing for CRUD operations. • Reading and understanding existing codebases, a critical skill in real-world development. • Utilizing project management tools like Jira for collaboration and GitHub for version control. What excited me the most about this project was its real-world impact. Once deployed, it will be used by library curators and faculty across campus! A heartfelt thank you to Break Through Tech DC for making this experience possible. I’m also deeply grateful to my mentors Ben Wallberg, Peter Eichman, and Erik Jones for their guidance and support throughout the sprint. Lastly, a big shoutout to my teammates: Neola Dsouza, Mackenzie Kilgore, and Dorian Mkam. Your teamwork, focus, and proactive approach were key to making this project a success in just three weeks!

🎉 Exciting Internship Wrap-Up at Goodshuffle! 🚀 I’m so excited to share that I’ve just completed my internship at Goodshuffle, and what an experience it’s been! 🌟 Over the past few weeks, I had the chance to dive into a super interesting project that’s helped shape the future of vendor onboarding. During my internship, I worked alongside an amazing team of fellow interns, and together, we developed:   🔹 A feature that auto-generates personalized Terms & Conditions documents for vendors 🔹 A streamlined communication tool with an enhanced messaging system 🔹 An "Unshuffled" feature that gives vendors a summary of the latest updates in their projects I was lucky to be part of the Product Team, where I helped design and build new features for the platform. One of the things I loved most about this internship was the autonomy and trust we were given. Our mentor, Brandon Ray, let us take full ownership of our projects, from planning to execution, while providing support when needed. This experience taught me the value of taking initiative and managing a project end-to-end.  Morning coffee chats were another highlight ☕. I learned valuable lessons from Andrew Walters on work-life balance, Taylor Bagwell on advocating for myself, and Anthony Albritton on exploring my interests in tech. Griffin Carr’s advice on constant learning and Abril Arias’s guidance on life after college were also incredibly insightful. I’m grateful to everyone for making this journey even more meaningful, huge thanks to Richard Rice, Kalan Warrick, Carmen Bodziak, Reiland Brown, Edward Campbell, and Alison Panza Jennings for your unwavering support and insights, which truly enhanced my experience. 💙 I’m deeply grateful to Erik Dreyer and Andrew Garcia, whose conversations had a lasting impact. Their encouragement to speak up and share our voices boosted my confidence, and hearing their entrepreneurial story about Goodshuffle sparked new inspiration in my own career. 🚀 I feel lucky to have worked with such a supportive, talented team. This internship helped me grow not only as a developer but also as a professional, and I’m thankful to everyone at Goodshuffle for making this experience unforgettable. Finally, a huge thank you to Break Through Tech DC Through Tech and the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing for providing this amazing opportunity. The skills, knowledge, and connections I’ve gained here will stay with me as I continue to grow in tech. 🌱 A special thanks to the other sprinters: Christina Kwon, Han Lin, and of course, my partner in crime, Audrey Nguezet Gouanet. It was honestly such a fun experience to get to learn from you guys, just as much as I learned from the internship. Every experience after this will have to compare to just how great we all worked together. Thanks again to everyone who made this internship so incredible. Can’t wait to see where this experience takes me next! 🚀✨

🌟 Starting Off 2025 with Goodshuffle 🌟 This winter, I had the incredible opportunity to intern on the Product Team at Goodshuffle. These past few weeks have been filled with so much learning, collaboration, and fun! Working alongside my amazing partner Christina Kwon, we built an Angular feature that processes legal documents to improve the vendor onboarding flow. Designing the product and collaborating across teams gave me valuable insight into what it takes to develop features with real impact. Having the autonomy to shape our project while learning from passionate and experienced professionals was an invaluable experience. Beyond the technical work, I loved being part of Goodshuffle’s company rituals, from morning standups to product syncs. My favorite part? The coffee chats and lunches! I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to engage with all the engineers on the Product Team, as well as team members from different departments. Their stories have given me invaluable lessons about tech careers, lifelong learning, work-life balance — and, of course, everyone’s caffeine addiction. In particular, hearing Erik Dreyer and Andrew Garcia's entrepreneurial journey has reshaped my mindset—teaching me to view mistakes and failures as stepping stones for growth and to always embrace continuous learning. A huge thank you to Brandon Ray for being an incredible mentor and guiding us through this experience! This internship was not just about coding but also about understanding startup culture, product development, and cross-team collaboration. A special shoutout to my co-interns—Christina Kwon, Helena Tesfaye, and Audrey Nguezet Gouanet. It was such a pleasure collaborating and learning alongside you all. I look forward to working together again in the future! Lastly, I’m deeply grateful to Break Through Tech DC and the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing for making this opportunity possible. Your support continues to empower students like me to break barriers and grow in tech. The first month of 2025 has already been filled with incredible experiences—I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store! 🚀 #Goodshuffle #Sprinternship #InternshipExperience #BreakThroughTech

Our team is #hiring! This is your chance to advance I4C's mission of creating an inclusive computing community at the University of Maryland and beyond. ➡️ Associate Director: Lead the I4C team in running programs for K-12 students and current UMD computing students to build and retain the computing pipeline. https://lnkd.in/etQijcNT ➡️ Program Manager, K-12/Community Outreach: Set the vision and goals of I4C outreach and oversee the implementation of summer learning experiences and related workshops https://lnkd.in/eHueYDph #JobOpportunity #HigherEd #HigherEdJobs #DMVJobs #DEIjobs #DiversityInTech #UMD

Across industries—from digital media to retail banking, financial services to healthcare—our students step into organizations for fast-paced, real-world challenge projects, delivering fresh insights, innovative solutions, and often new tools in a short amount of time. Partner with us to host a micro-internship through The Sprinternship™ or mentor exceptional students in our AI Program—and see firsthand how emerging tech talent can drive immediate impact in your organization. Click the link to review a sample of the projects they’ve tackled recently. https://bit.ly/3vAYvBc #futureoftech #womenintech #techtalent #talentpipeline #breakthroughtech

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 I’m excited to announce that I’ve just wrapped up my first internship at Mindgrub! I am so honored to have been a part of Break Through Tech’s Sprinternship program and incredibly grateful to Mindgrub for allowing me to contribute and grow with such an innovative team. What I Worked On: While at Mindgrub, I worked with a team on an exciting project focused on AI innovation. Together, we worked to develop an interactive chatbot that generated a market analysis to provide valuable business insights. To achieve this, we utilized: • 𝗛𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗥𝗠 for managing and integrating data • 𝗔𝘇𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗔𝗜 to implement AI capabilities • 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗸 to develop a scalable and user-friendly application for our chatbot Using these tools, we successfully deployed a chatbot capable of analyzing relevant information from Hubspot and delivering actionable insights. In addition to this project, we also conducted market research to identify opportunities for AI integration and crafted a strategic roadmap for future collaborations. Lastly, we refined our skills with NVIDIA certifications, staying ahead of emerging technologies in AI development. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳! This internship has given me invaluable hands-on experience, strengthened my technical and professional skills, and deepened my understanding of the importance of AI-driven solutions. I want to take a moment to appreciate the people who have helped me on this journey: A huge thank you to my incredible teammates, Princeobiuto Aguguo and Riya Lakhani — it was a pleasure working with you both! I’m so proud of what we achieved together in such a short amount of time; I truly couldn’t have asked for a better team! I also wanted to give a special shoutout to Kevin Giffhorn, M.Ed., our mentor and rock throughout the internship. Your guidance played a huge role in our success in the project and has taught us many important lessons that we will continue to carry throughout our careers. Lastly, thank you to the Mindgrub team for being so welcoming and creating such a vibrant space for us to learn in. Of course, a huge thank you to the Break Through Tech DC's team for making all of this possible. The Sprinternship program is truly amazing and has opened many doors for tech students to start their professional careers. Personally, this internship has been such a rewarding experience, providing me with valuable insight into the tech industry. I’m excited for what’s ahead as I continue seeking and embracing new opportunities in the tech space! #Sprinternship #BreakThroughTech #Mindgrub