Hunter Computer Science Students: From Interns to Insiders

Last summer, David Margolin ’19 was an intern at Motivate, a start-up recently acquired by Lyft. “It made me significantly more employable,” Margolin says. “I became a much better communicator and programmer.” Best of all, his internship led to a job offer upon graduation, which is the goal of Hunter’s computer science internship program, an initiative supported by Hunter’s Computer Science Advisory Board.

Andrew Rasiej, who chairs the Advisory Board, has made it his mission to ensure that Hunter graduates are fully prepared to land jobs in New York City’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem. He and other Board members mentor students, advise faculty on curriculum and help students find internships. In fact, Margolin obtained his internship with the help of another Board member—Daniel Fried—who serves as Motivate’s vice president of programming.

Now, even more Hunter students—25 last summer and another 25 this coming spring—are benefitting from paid internships in the tech sector, thanks to the CUNY 2X grant. While some Hunter students have struggled to afford taking unpaid internships in the past, the CUNY 2X grant eliminates that barrier.

Aisha Khoja ’20 interned at SumAll, a cross-platform marketing analytics company. “Before my internship, I had nothing on my resume,” says Khoja. “I know this will open doors for me.”

Open doors can lead to careers with blue chip companies like Bloomberg, Inc., where Hunter College graduates Simon Ayzman ’15 and Aarsh Vora ’16 now both work as software engineers. As career professionals who have returned to Hunter as adjunct lecturers, they offer students valuable insights into what it’s like to be employed in the tech field.

“I started tutoring when I was an undergraduate and really enjoy teaching,” Vora says. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping students gain a deeper understanding of computer science.” Adds Ayzman: “I like showing them how what they’re studying can translate into a rewarding career.”