- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.
My STEP project was a 13-week remote internship with Hyland Software. I worked on an intern project focusing on updating an already existing portal. I also participated in Scrum activities such as Sprint planning and daily standups.
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?
Over this summer, my view of not only myself but my view of the software industry changed. I had to learn how to ask questions when I was stuck and accept help when I needed to. While working remote, I also had to learn how to become a better communicator. As well, since this was my second internship, I was able to take on more programming responsibilities. The full-time developers at Hyland also showed me that the software industry is all about communication and being able to ask for help when you need it. They were always willing to help and showed how important it is to learn while you get work done. These changes in my viewpoint have helped prepare me for real work in the industry as I get ready to graduate in December of 2021.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?
One of my biggest struggles as a developer is asking for help when I need it. It can be especially hard in a remote setting. Learning not only how to get the courage to message someone for help but to do it in a timely manner was an important lesson for me to learn. At least a few times a week, I had to ask questions not only to my mentors, but to other people who worked on my Scrum team. We also had a smaller intern stand up every other day to give more opportunities for me to ask questions. By the end of the summer, I was able to communicate with anyone and everyone who worked on my team. I now feel prepared to enter the industry and work as a full-time developer with others.
I also completed a summer internship with Hyland in summer 2020. It was only part-time, working 20 hours a week. I was given a very small project to work on during my short time there. This summer, I was given a full-time internship as well as a bigger project to work on. This added responsibility only made my programming abilities stronger. I was able to learn more about how to work on front end development. I was also able to work on back end development, something I had never done before this summer. This was a great experience to help me round out my coding knowledge. This extra work showed me how ready I am for real responsibilities after graduation.
The full-time developers were always willing to help me out when I needed it. I would not have been able to complete my project without them. As previously stated, this internship was the first time I had worked on back end development. Specifically, I worked with a programming language called GraphQL. I had never heard of this before starting my internship. I was always able to ask for help when I was stuck learning this language and they were willing to put down their work to help me out with my project. This showed me how important learning is in the software industry. As well, it helped me grow in my ability to ask for help when I needed it, but to also that a willingness to help is expected.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?
These transformations will be very valuable for my future career as a developer. Learning how to collaborate and ask questions is one of the most important skills a developer can have. As well, this summer gave me added responsibility, similar to what I will be seeing in my future career. I also got to improve my existing coding skills and gain some new ones. Learning GraphQL and how to work in the back end of a program will be very beneficial to me. I will be able to carry all these skills with me after I graduate.
These are some of my additions to the portal