▸ Growing the Legacy Scholarship Program
The Intel Growing the Legacy Scholarship Program was established to champion Native American students in computer science and engineering fields and foster their success. The initiative supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering (chemical engineering and material science will also be considered).
Developed in partnership with AISES, the program includes financial awards, mentoring from Intel professionals, and a paid summer internship opportunity. Scholarship awards are up to $5,000 per academic year for undergraduate students and up to $10,000 per academic year for graduate students. Participants who receive scholarships are encouraged to reapply each year. Students also have the opportunity to apply for internships and full-time employment with Intel Corporation, an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., in Silicon Valley.
To be considered for the program, the student must be a U.S. citizen and enrolled full time at an accredited college or university pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. A current AISES membership and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher are also required. (AISES membership is now free for all pre-college and college students.) Additional eligibility requirements include being an enrolled citizen or a descendant of an enrolled citizen of a federally or state-recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native village, Native Hawaiian, or descendant of a Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or Indigenous Canadian.
➜ The annual application deadline is usually in mid-May for students applying for scholarships in the upcoming academic year. For more information, go to the scholarship page on the AISES website.
Winds of Change asked Lisa M. Smith, manager of Intel Corporation’s Global Diversity and Inclusion, Scholar Program Office, to share some insights on this opportunity for Native STEM students and aspiring professionals.
Why was the Intel Growing the Legacy Scholarship Program established? Our partnership with AISES is a collaboration aimed at increasing Native American leadership in STEM. At Intel, the important first step in achieving that objective is generating greater Native student participation and retention in computer science and engineering. We launched the program in 2017, after our company announced a $1.32 million contribution to AISES to support undergraduate and graduate scholarships for Native Americans.
Why is this such a good time to be graduating with computer science skills? The fundamental skills of a computer science degree — for example, architecture, programming models, and algorithms — are essential for unlocking the benefits of today’s IT architecture and future architecture. Just as researchers and scientists rely on optimized software, programmers ensure that software is secure and agile for moving, storing, and processing data. Because software is key, Intel provides the next generation of scientists and engineers with free software tools, libraries, and code samples to the developer community, as well as special programs for academic researchers, instructors, and STEM students.
Scholarship awardees become eligible for jobs at Intel upon graduation. What kinds of opportunities are available? Software developers and engineers at Intel make our company one of the most influential software companies in the world. They focus on key areas that enable the Intel architecture across high-performance computing, data analytics, artificial intelligence, devices, cloud computing, visualization technology, and more. Because of this Intel architecture portfolio, we have opportunities at various levels of programming — including software applications, firmware and BIOS, RF design, Linux kernel, and validation testing. To learn more, students are welcome to visit the jobs page on our website.
When Native students go to work at Intel, what can they expect when they make the transition to employment? Intel has established resource groups and leadership councils to build an environment of inclusion and help employees with career development through mentorship and sponsorship programs. Our Intel Native American Network (INAN) employee resource group and Intel Native American and Pacific Islander Leader Council actively engage members within Intel and with the local community. Employees have the opportunity to connect with Intel mentors, the leadership councils, advisors, and coaches as they develop their careers. INAN reaches out to new employees or interns who self-identify as Native Americans and invites them to get to know the group and its members.
What else would you like to say to our readers who are thinking about applying for this program? We encourage all qualified students to apply! We are committed to supporting the next generation of Native American STEM leaders, both as students and as professionals.
▸ Summer Internship Program
Facebook University (FBU) for Engineering is a hands-on, immersive internship opportunity for approximately 180 engineering students from across the United States. Students selected for the eight-week paid program receive three weeks of mobile development training and five weeks of hands-on learning in a team setting, including guidance from a mentor. In addition to applying their current programming knowledge, participants are challenged to learn new technologies throughout their internship experience.
The initial three-week classroom curriculum features intensive instruction on mobile development where interns learn the fundamentals of how to build an app in Android or iOS. After spending the rest of the summer program working in small groups to develop an app, each group has the opportunity to make a presentation to their peers about their app, including a live demo. The internships take place in Menlo Park, Calif., or Seattle.
Applicants must have a strong interest in science and engineering and know at least one programming language (for example, C/C++, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Ruby, Python, Lua, or Objective C). Also, applicants must be a current first- or second-year college student studying at a four-year university (or equivalent program for special cases) in the U.S.; at least 18 years old by June of the internship year; and available to work on location for the duration of the internship. In addition, all applicants are asked to complete a 90-minute HackerRank coding challenge (see the Q&A below).
➜ All FBU interns receive a compensation package that includes pay and covers travel and housing. The application window for the FBU Engineering Class of 2021 will open in late August and close at the end of October. For more information and details, visit Facebook University for Engineering.
To learn more, we talked with Oscar Perez, Facebook University’s manager of Diversity Recruitment and Programs.
Why did Facebook start FBU? In 2013 we started the program because of a distinct need to build more education programs for talent from underrepresented communities. We wanted to address this gap and find more pathways for making the teachable skills and mindsets needed in our industry accessible to a broader population.
What is most distinctive about this internship opportunity? The hands-on, immersive aspects of the program are very well received by FBU’s engineering interns and university partners alike. Our three-week “crash course” in mobile development — a pretty critical skill — distinguishes this opportunity. Whether you want to ultimately work for a tech company or become entrepreneurial as an app developer, knowing how to make an app and gaining a deeper understanding of coding can help take you any direction you want in the tech industry.
Why is there no GPA requirement? We do not see a GPA as the leading indicator of the longtime potential of a student. We look at applicants with an inclusive lens, and we understand that sometimes there are barriers for students to overcome in their educational paths. Rather than putting too much weight on GPA, we require proficiency in at least one coding language. Coding skill is essential to this internship and is more relevant than the GPA of a student who’s new to college, and perhaps even a first-generation freshman.
There’s also no essay requirement. Tell us about that and the HackerRank challenge. We heard from a lot of computer science students that they thought it was important to demonstrate their coding, versus demonstrating their writing — and that made sense to us. We replaced the essay requirement with a HackerRank coding challenge, a 90-minute session where students are asked to solve a few fundamental computer science coding problems. While this challenge helps us get a sense of a student’s technical proficiency, it’s not the only factor we consider when looking at an applicant’s computer science skills and potential.
What would you say to students interested in FBU, but uncertain of their chance to be selected? I say it never hurts to apply. We welcome candidates from many different backgrounds with a variety of skill sets, and we make decisions about each applicant holistically. This could be a door that opens a career-changing opportunity.
▸ Rotational Engineering Leadership Development Program
The Raytheon Technologies two-year Rotational Engineering Leadership Development Program (RELDP) is designed to attract talented technical graduates to the company’s Technology and Global Engineering (T&GE) organization and prepare them to become future leaders. RELDP assignments involve targeted experiential and applied learning opportunities as participants work on global teams supporting international customers and suppliers.
Raytheon Technologies is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, defense, and government customers worldwide. The company embraces diverse perspectives and believes that a diverse company is a strong company. That is why it is a longtime sponsor of — and participant in — the AISES National Conference.
For students graduating with a technical degree, RELDP is an opportunity to work with pioneering technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, advanced software development technologies, and lasers. RELDP professionals cycle through two 12-month rotations within the company’s businesses across the United States. These challenging assignments give participants the opportunity to develop competencies in broad ranges of disciplines — for example, systems engineering, software engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, aerospace engineering, multidisciplinary engineering, systems testing, and engineering logistics.
The RELDP experience includes dialogue with senior leaders, immersive functional and cross-functional leadership training, facility tours, training seminars, and peer mentoring. In addition to a competitive salary, benefits of the program range from 401(k) retirement plans to parental leave, paid time off, educational assistance, and relocation assistance. Rotation locations include Woburn, Mass.; Portsmouth, R.I.; Dulles, Va.; El Segundo, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; Dallas; Marlborough, Mass.; and Aurora, Colo.
➜ Qualified master’s and PhD candidates are encouraged to apply online at rtx.com/careers. Enter “Member Engineering LD Program” in the job search field. Opportunities are posted throughout the fall academic calendar.
We asked RELDP Program Manager Gail Savidge about the program and what prospective participants can expect.
Based on feedback from participants, what are some of the program’s most popular aspects? The support the program receives from RTX leadership is outstanding, and participants love the fact that leaders from throughout the enterprise attend training sessions and share their expertise. During several cross-functional training sessions, participants have the opportunity to network not only with employees from Technology and Global Engineering across the company, but also with other early-career employees in functions such as business development, contracts, finance, global trade, human resources, IT, security, and supply chain. Participants say the opportunity to make these types of connections early in their career is invaluable.
A distinctive aspect of this program is the rotational structure. What are the key benefits of this approach? The rotational component of the program allows participants to experience multiple business units, product lines, and customers early in their careers. It illustrates the importance of cross-functional and cross-business collaboration and enables participants to find the best fit in the company for their continued technical and leadership development after program completion.
Can you tell us a little more about the technical and communication skills participants can develop? We utilize a culture of leaders teaching leaders, which enables all participants to have access to and learn from leaders across the enterprise. Rotational assignments are an opportunity to develop technical skills on the job with access to role-specific training, while weeklong training sessions focus on an overall understanding of our company, personal leadership skills, and business acumen.
How is peer mentoring integrated into the program? Upon entering the program, new participants are matched with a peer mentor from the previous cohort. They, in turn, will serve as peer mentors for the cohort starting the following year. In this way, participants get the opportunity to practice and experience being both mentee and mentor during their time in the program.
This opportunity is for current Raytheon Technologies employees as well as master’s and PhD candidates from outside the company. What are some benefits of this approach? Diversity across our participants allows us to better learn, collaborate, and grow together. In this way, we are able to attract, retain, and continuously develop top talent.
