Google Internship Inspires, Impacts College of Charleston Students

^{Above: The first cohort of Google Data Center Summer Internship students (l–r), Ana Decena, Bailey Samonte, MoniYah Person, Kirti Reddy and Josh Smith.}

There is no denying that Google has transformed life as we know it – it has changed the way we find information, the way we communicate, the way we learn, the way we find opportunities and achieve our goals.

And, for the five College of Charleston students who interned at the Google Data Center in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, this summer, it has transformed the way they see themselves – and their futures within the workforce.

Aiming to expose students to career opportunities and to give them transferable skills that they can leverage in a range of careers, the Google DEI Data Center Summer Internship allows students to explore three job functions at the Google Data Center – global server operations, data center operations and data center services – over a six-week period.

RELATED: Find out more about the Google Data Center Summer Internship.

“This important partnership allows our students to explore unfamiliar career opportunities with a very familiar company,” says Courtney Howard, chief diversity officer and vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at the College of Charleston. “We are confident this will be impactful for students.”

She is not wrong: All five students in the first cohort of the summer experience concur that the internship had a major impact.

“It was an amazing experience and has definitely positively impacted my career and life goals,” says junior computer science major Josh Smith.

“This has been a life-changing experience, and I am so grateful!” agrees Ana Decena, a junior majoring in international studies. “Being surrounded by so many knowledgeable, dedicated and kind people created a really supportive atmosphere.”

“This internship was life-changing for me. I met so many incredibly wise people that I look up to but also realized they are also average day-to-day people like us who just happen to work extremely hard to get to their current positions,” echoes MoniYah Person, a sophomore majoring in computer information systems. “This opportunity will most definitely set me up for future success not just with the ‘name’ of Google, but also the skills and lessons I learned from my colleagues.”

The people that the students worked with at Google made an impression on Bailey Samonte, too.

“My favorite thing about working at the Google Data Center was being able to meet and be taught by all the amazing people I got to interact with. I received great advice from everyone I met there that will stick with me for the continuation of my career,” says the sophomore computer science major. “I feel the experience has had a positive impact on my career path and goals. I learned so much about my career field, as well as myself.”

Indeed, the experience seems to have provided the interns with some new perspectives as they consider their future careers.

“I learned there are so many different routes available for individuals to get into companies like Google,” says Person. “Many assume you have to be in tech, but after this internship I realized there are so many different ways you can involve yourself in a company such as Google.”

While at the Google Data Center, the interns had the support of the College of Charleston Career Center, which helped them reflect on the experience.

“The Career Center’s support allowed me to see me experiences at Google through a different lens. I was able to reflect on what my ‘non-negotiables’ were in the workplace through answering my weekly journal prompts,” says Kirti Reddy, a sophomore double majoring in political science and international studies, noting that “seeing all the women of color in leadership was inspiring. Thanks to them, I’ll be taking note of workplace culture (and equity!) moving forward.”

“The Career Center allowed me to have a goal to work toward with weekly journal entries and projects that kept me motivated throughout the six-week internship,” agrees Person, adding that she encourages other students to take advantage of the Career Center. “It is an excellent resource that is constantly sending out opportunities such as this and many others to their students.”

The students spent the last four weeks of the internship completing two Coursera courses – giving them the credentials to back up the hands-on experience they gained at the Google Data Center.

“I thought it was helpful to revisit and expand upon topics I had learned for my CIS degree after seeing those skills in a real-world context,” says Decena, who chose to take the IBM Python for Data Science, AI, & Development course and the Google Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere course. “I think that Coursera shows some legitimacy behind your skills and also shows a drive to seek out opportunities and information. Basically, it shows more than just what you’ve learned; it also shows that you love learning!”

Person took the Google Foundations of Project Management course and the Meta iOS Developer course based on her experience at the Google Data Center.

“During the internship I learned what a project manager actually does, and it interested me enough to want to pursue further education in the field. I never realized how important having these credentials was until interning at Google,” she says, adding that the employees she talked to at the data center “stressed to us how essential it is to take advantage of Coursera while we can.”

RELATED: Find out more about the College’s partnership with the Coursera Learning Academy.

“Coursera is recognized across industries,” agrees Reddy, who has completed the Google Data Analytics and the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce certificates through Coursera. “I’m excited to see how I can combine both data visualization and brand crafting with my political interests moving forward! Not only has taking Coursera courses given me confidence in my abilities, but the skills I have acquired from Coursera will allow me to excel in technical interviews.”

By the end of their 10-week Google DEI Data Center Summer Internship experience, all five students came away with new skills, perspectives, confidence and aspirations.

“Overall, I am beyond grateful to have had this opportunity; it is one that I will never forget,” concludes Person. “This internship has brought me face-to-face with some incredible minds. Their wisdom and insights have resonated deeply with me, shaping my perspective in invaluable ways. I’m incredibly grateful for their teachings and for the opportunity to have been a part of this transformative experience.”