When Jonathan Gan attended the Florida Poly Career and Internship Fair last February, he wanted to see what kinds of opportunities were available to students, but he didn’t expect employers to take much interest in a sophomore like him. However, his creativity and his passion for learning sparked the interest of a leading software company in Tampa, Florida.
Gan, 20, is now an information systems intern on the Portals Team of Accusoft. During this summer internship, he is learning to use the software development tool Jira to build code that will help the company better manage and maintain their customer information database.
“I’m trying to work hard and learn as much as I can,” said Gan, from Tarpon Springs, Florida. “I want to use this opportunity as a chance to fearlessly try new things and expand my abilities.”
Gan is using his classroom knowledge while mastering new programs and skills, and experiencing what it’s like to work solving real world problems. The computer engineering major noted that while his studies provide a great foundation, his internship is giving him insight to the “nitty gritty” aspects of web development and coding.
“Florida Poly interns know how to figure things out and think outside the box,” said Jeff Engerski, Accusoft’s director of software and information services and Gan’s supervisor.
“Ninety percent of our success is having the right people in the room. Interns like Jonathan are the young blood we need to energize our office and create a strong talent pipeline so we can have the right people in the room now and into the future,” added Engerski
Gan, a rising junior, is confident this opportunity is his first step into a successful future in the high-tech world. In the meantime, he’s focused on absorbing as much experience as possible during his three-month internship at Accusoft, and learning volumes from his coworkers.
“People here remind me of my friends at Florida Poly; they can be funny and laid back but serious when it counts,” said Gan. “Everyone has different interests, different passions but we all share a love of computer engineering.”
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
863-874-8557