WIT Campus Georgia Gwinnett College has been hosting a Java Boot Camp each May since 2014. The boot camp is designed to help women in Information Technology at Georgia Gwinnett College to succeed in their chosen major.
Java programming sessions at the boot camp help build students’ knowledge and confidence in programming. It provides professional development opportunities that contribute to their holistic development. “GGC Java Programming Boot camp is the best program designed to fit our students’ learning progress, Dr. Hyesung Park tells WIT. “It is my joy to observe that the program is becoming more successful every year. It is a great blessing to be with the most precious Boot campers!”
Fiserv strives to foster an open and inclusive environment for their associates to empower them to bring their whole selves to work. Fiserv recognizes that their success lies in building a diverse and inclusive workforce, along with ensuring that everyone feels comfortable bringing their unique thoughts and ideas to the table.
Fiserv is proud to enable tomorrow’s leaders through meaningful partnerships with organizations that share WIT’s goals for development in areas, such as S.T.E.A.M.
S.T.E.A.M is an educational approach that incorporates the arts into the more-familiar STEM model, which includes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. S.T.E.A.M programs can include any of the visual or performing arts, such as dance, design, painting, photography, and writing.
On May 10th, Fiserv and WIT hosted 26 students from Georgia Gwinnett College at their Alpharetta Campus. The students partook in a tour of their campus and then settled into one of their conference rooms to hear from a panel of Fiserv Technology Services associates.
Shuchi Mittal, VP, Fiserv Technology Services, gave a brief welcome and talked about who Fiserv is and what they do – the depth and breath of their reach in people’s everyday lives and the excitement of being a fintech in today’s world.
Next, Heidi Popa, VP of Business Operations, led a panel of associates who shared valuable insight and knowledge about their career journeys, lessons learned, and advice on how to make the most of your career. The panel included:
· Akhila Gullapalli – Director, Software Engineering and Data Analytics
· Angel VanEllison – Software Developer
· Divya Konasani – Systems Engineer
· Summerlin Thompson – Data Scientist
Through their partnership with WIT, Fiserv funds scholarships for young women pursuing majors in STEAM. Fiserv’s Women’s Impact Network Employee Resource Group and their Talent Acquisition team have a strong relationship with WIT and partner with them to create mentorship opportunities as well as a talent pipeline of female candidates for technology roles across Fiserv.
“The camp was absolutely amazing and it really ignited my interest in being an IT major. I was filled with so much interest and wonder about this major because of what I was learning, and all the people that came to talk to us.”
“Although I’m one of the only other IT *Minors, non IT Majors, I didn’t feel looked down at all. In fact, a lot of the topics covered by panelists inspired me and encouraged me that the IT field is not just for “smart, tech-savvy people”. Being a more creative and art-orientated person I didn’t think I would fit in but I now have the confidence to build on the skills I was exposed to and use it to my advantage in any field. I was motivated to take programming fundamentals in Fall 2022 and am proud that I may now have another language skill to add to my repertoire, all thanks to WIT!”
“I really appreciate the professors and mentors who put this together. It was very surprising to see you all interact with us in a kind way. It didn’t make me feel like there’s a strict social divide between professor and student. Thank you for making us feel appreciated.”