What is your specific role as an intern at the IDEA Center?
I work as a Senior Risk Assessment Analyst.
What has been your main takeaway from your time working with the IDEA Center?
My main takeaway is that there are so many professors, alumni, and students at Notre Dame that have such amazing ideas. It has been great to be able to work with these people and get a glimpse into what they hope for the future. It’s been a very enlightening and hopeful experience, getting to see so many people trying to make a positive impact on the world.
What influence did your IDEA Center work have on your full-time career discernment (and what will you be doing)?
Next year, I’ll be joining the Technology Development Program at Accenture in Chicago. The IDEA Center introduced me to so many different industries that I hadn’t worked with before. It made me realize that I love working on multiple dynamic and fast-paced projects at the same time. I wanted to go into a consulting position after graduation so I could continue to work in niche industries and with a variety of different people. It’s been great to hear from so many different inventors and professors about what they’re passionate about. And it’s so rewarding getting to hopefully make those passions come to light.
One of my projects at the IDEA Center required me to learn a lot about the satellite industry. In my job interview, I was able to talk in depth about different ways that AI technologies could potentially be applied in this industry. It was great to be an expert in such a niche area that I otherwise wouldn’t even know about without my internship.
I am a Science-Computing major and had no previous experience with business. The IDEA Center was a great, hands-on opportunity for me to learn more about business and industry markets. This definitely gave me an edge while interviewing, as companies are always looking for individuals that have business as well as science experience. The skills I’ve gained at the IDEA Center, including teamwork, time management, research, and adaptability, definitely helped me get my foot in the door when applying for jobs.
What advice would you give students at ND looking to get involved with the IDEA Center?
The IDEA Center really has a place for everyone, no matter what your major is. My advice would be to just reach out and try to get involved. They’re looking for motivated and passionate people, so if you want to work with a fun and engaging team on some pretty unique projects, definitely apply.
Most memorable moment from IDEA Center work?
We went socially-distanced bowling. Team bonding was definitely different during the pandemic, but this was a great opportunity to get to know everybody safely and in person. We even made an IDEA Center TikTok which was just so goofy and fun!