Williams Students Online, Williamstown, MA
This summer I had the pleasure of interning with Williams Students Online (WSO), an organization run by students for students. The organization has two main focus areas, the primary of which is the web-based WSO website. This site includes several tools for students including: Facebook, as a search engine to look up students that attend Williams; Dormtrak, a site to find reviews left by other students of the various residence halls on campus; Factrak, similar to Dormtrak but used to learn more about the quality of different professors and classes; and Willipedia, a Wikipedia based site containing helpful information about the Williams campus and student life. The other area of WSO that I worked on is the fairly new Williams Mobile App. This app takes the WSO website and condenses it into a mobile app, with a few additional features such as a list of dining hall menus and daily messages.
Throughout my internship with WSO as a software engineer on the Mobile team, I have learned quite a bit about mobile development. At the beginning of the summer, I had little to no idea what JavaScript and React Native were, and now I am able to contribute meaningfully to the Williams Mobile app’s codebase. On the mobile app I began my internship by learning my way around the vast codebase, implementing a simple dark theme to enhance the user experience. After this, I began working with a team to implement an online ordering system for the student-led
coffee shop on campus, Goodrich Coffee Bar. A large reason for this online ordering system was to reduce the
long lines that can often form at Goodrich in order to help the café adapt to the new restrictions imposed due to the Coronavirus.
This internship experience has allowed me to get a feel for what a completely remote job would be like, and I now know that if given the opportunity again I would prefer having some in-person interaction. I also have discovered that I enjoy working on mobile app development. While it may not be the field that I ultimately go into, I will certainly continue to explore it. This internship gave me an idea of what a professional experience in the technology industry will be like and I am glad to say that I enjoy it thus far; and I am excited to delve further into the industry. I’ve also found that whatever work I end up doing, I want it to have the capability of impacting people for the better. This insight will help me as I begin the search for my next internship. I will look for companies that are making a noticeable difference in society. With new knowledge in JavaScript, React Native, and Firebase, I feel more confident going into the next wave of applying for internships.
The Collins Internship and Williams Students Online have allowed me to gain some introductory experience in the tech industry and I am very grateful for the opportunity.