Charlotte, N.C./Nov. 22, 2020 – Crystal Howard ‘21 just began her senior year, but the computer science information systems major has already secured a job with Bank of America. The news comes following her summer 2020, 10-week internship with the company.
“This opportunity allowed me to work with colleagues across various departments of the bank to complete projects,” she said. “In our final team challenge, I worked as the project lead, where I communicated with our managers and team mentors concerning our progression, set up recurring meetings with my team to keep us on track, and made sure our final deliverable and presentation met the criteria of the project.”
Howard’s leadership and ability to quickly learn helped her stand out amongst other interns and ultimately secure her job nearly a year before graduation. “I gained relationships and valuable experience that will now help me in my new career.”
But she could not have accomplished these things without the help of mentors Terik Tidwell, director of STEM Innovation, and Dr. Felisia Stukes, assistant professor of Computer Science Engineering.
“They consistently encourage me to succeed and share with me opportunities that provide the professional development needed for my success,” Howard added.
Although COVID-19 forced her internship to be remote, Howard still feels prepared to embark on her new journey as a Cybersecurity Analyst with BOA in July 2021.
When explaining why it’s important for students to gain internship experience, Howard added, “Internships not only provide experience, but expose you to different positions and opportunities within corporations that you may have not previously been interested in.”