Navigating summer opportunities as a first-year student in college can be a daunting process. It can even be more so for those who come into college with no prior background knowledge in the field of study they want to pursue, perhaps because they want to try something new. This was indeed the case for me when I was a freshman, intending to pursue a concentration in Computer Science (CS) while having no formal CS/coding background.

Thankfully, throughout my journey looking for summer opportunities, I leveraged the numerous resources that the Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS) offers. The MCS welcomes all Harvard College students and offers a wide range of services and resources tailored specifically to internships, entry-level jobs, and summer opportunities for undergraduates and recent alumni. In addition to offering career guidance, development workshops, resume review workshops, career coaches, and one-on-one meetings, the MCS offers funding opportunities for students to have enriching summer experiences.

The Mignone Center for Career Success at Harvard offers summer funding to assist students in pursuing unpaid internships and other valuable career-building experiences. This funding can help offset the costs of living and commuting during the summer months, allowing students to focus on gaining valuable skills and experience without worrying about the financial strain. The amount of funding available to each student varies depending on the specific internship or opportunity, but it is typically enough to cover the basic costs of living and commuting for the duration of the summer. The MCS supports students for two types of internships (or research experience) outside of the U.S., which can be virtual or in-person: 

1.  MCS-Funded Independent Internships Outside the U.S. 

   This is an independent, self-arranged internship or research assistantship where the student makes arrangements directly with a supervisor at an organization based outside the U.S. 

2. MCS-Funded Third-Party Internship Programs Outside the U.S. 

   This is an internship arranged by a third-party internship provider at an organization based outside the U.S., where the student pays a program fee to participate.  

On my side, the first category suited me best as I had hoped to spend my summer break in my home country, Tanzania, while engaging in a meaningful experience related to my intended concentration, computer science, without having to worry about worrying about the financial implications. As soon as I learned that I was eligible for the funding opportunity after going through the eligibility criteria posted on the MCS Funding webpage, I spent time understanding the application process and planning for the application. I also received assistance from my proctor (a residential advisor for first-year students).

As a first step in the application process, I was required to apply directly to the organization I wanted to work with. Even though I had a few organizations in mind, I spent time searching online for a distinguished organization in my home country where I could seek an internship. IPF Softwares, an award-winning software development organization, based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, stood out to me. Through the organization's website and social media, I had a chance to learn about its values, its approach to software development, the technical tools used by engineers there, and some of its previous works. What stood out to me about iPF, is the kind of projects they work on -- projects that are meaningful and impactful to the Tanzanian and African communities at large. I was also moved by the organization's culture, values, and the agile methodology (Scrum) that is employed at iPF, all of which seemed to align perfectly with what I hoped to experience.

I then reached out to one of the iPF’s founding partners through LinkedIn, where I expressed my interest in interning at the organization and requested to arrange a time for a meeting with him. Thankfully, he accepted my request, and we scheduled an interview call. After a successful interview, I was so excited to be offered an internship position at the organization because I knew I would have an opportunity to get hands-on experience on impactful projects while discovering my journey in tech.

Having already secured an independent internship opportunity, I then went on to complete the application for funding from the MCS, which involved submitting a support letter from the host organization, completing the Internship and Research Assistantship Form, submitting a resume and transcript, as well as completing several pre-departure requirements such as reviewing Harvard’s COVID-19 travel policy and the international travel policy.

After being approved for the funding in late March, I could not wait for the summer break to come around and fly back home to begin my internship. Days went by quickly, and it was summer break already. My internship’s start date was late May, which lasted 12 weeks until mid-August. Upon the start of the internship, I underwent a 3-week onboarding stage where I received support from my mentor, read books relevant to my role, and worked on an onboarding project. In addition to offering a smooth transition into the organization, iPF and its onboarding period helped me to brush up on my technical skills and get to know my teammates better. 

During my time at iPF Softwares, I served as part of the web development team where my work entailed building robust and scalable web applications with responsive and appealing user interfaces that provide satisfying experiences to users across all devices. Some of the projects that I worked on include extending the organization’s website, building a search engine-friendly webpage that acts as a front office for an existing in-house solution, and working on a team to build a web-based project management system.

My typical workday at iPF usually began with a daily stand-up -- a meeting where we learn the current progress of every team member that works on Scrum tasks by discussing what we had been working on the previous day, what we would be working on that particular day, and any issues that were challenging at present. I then spent the rest of the day working on my tasks together with my teammates.

To captivate a constant learning culture, every Friday, iPF Softwares has what they call #HackItFriday, where all teams come together for a session to learn something completely new as prepared by one of the team members, and afterward, meet again for some fun outdoor team-building activities which I had personally really enjoyed taking part in. 

My enriching summer experience would not have been possible without the funding from the MCS which made sure I had sufficient funds for travel and accommodation for the entirety of my 12-week internship program. My internship experience at iPF Softwares was a very fulfilling one as it allowed me to have a great exposure to the tech industry in my home country. I strongly believe that the experience I have had there has prepared me well for my further studies at Harvard and my future in tech. 

The summer funding offered by the Mignone Center for Career Success at Harvard is a valuable resource for students who are looking to gain valuable experience and build their careers. By providing financial support and access to other resources and services, the Mignone Center for Career Success can help students make the most of their summer opportunities and set themselves up for success in their future careers. If you are a Harvard student looking to gain valuable experience and build your career this summer, be sure to check out the summer funding opportunities available through the Mignone Center for Career Success!