Happy National Intern Day! Our eight summer interns are having a blast so far. Not only are they incredibly talented but they also bring fresh ideas and perspectives. Finding the right internship can be difficult as there needs to be a balance of opportunities for both technical and personal growth. Between 1:1 meetings, open office hours, and endless networking events, each of these individuals found something that works for them. Let’s check out what a few of them have been up to.
Harmit
(NYC, Backend Engineering Intern)
I am currently enrolled at NYU Tandon School of Engineering where I am pursuing my Masters in Computer Science. Before that, I double majored in Mathematics and Computer Science at Adelphi University. If there’s anything worth knowing about me, it is my love for powerlifting. During my final year at Adelphi, I won first place in a campus held powerlifting competition.
What do you like best about your role?
I like working with the different parts of our platforms' technology stack. It provides a great learning experience that I believe would otherwise be difficult to acquire. The projects that I work on are relatively more impactful compared to those that I would be working on at a larger company. I also get to work with brilliant engineers who really help me grow through great feedback and who lead by example.
How would you describe your manager in one word & why?
Attentive. He listens and pays attention to what is being said. He gives his best effort to make sure I’m comfortable and my concerns are addressed.
Do you prefer to be in a super hot or super cold environment?
Definitely super cold. You could wear layers to keep warm, but when it’s super hot you can only do so much. Also, when it’s cold you can wear way cooler outfits!
Erfan
(SF, Research Scientist Intern)
Hello! I am Erfan, an engineer who loves science. I am a Ph.D student at USC with only two more years to go. I decided to pursue a Ph.D because finding my real interests has been a bit difficult. During my studies, I have the freedom to explore different machine learning topics. This freedom had cultivated my interest in deep learning! The fascinating achievements of deep learning could be even more interesting if algorithms become faster! This summer at Clarifai, I’m working on improving the visual recognition and search models. I wish the machines to be able to see the world as humans do!
What do you like best about your role?
This is my second consecutive summer interning at Clarifai and I’ve enjoyed my time thus far. I like applying my ideas to real-world applications and the volatile nature of it. I like taking on challenging problems with no clear paths to figuring out the answers.
If you could choose a different career path, other than engineering, what would it be?
Sociology, LOL!
Where are your favorite weekend hangout spots?
Sausalito, Golden Gate Park, Embarcadero
And I recommend everyone coming to SF to visit Muir Woods. The nature scenes are really mind-blowing there!
Is cereal a soup?
Maybe cereal with hot milk is a soup :D
Priyank
(SF, Research Scientist Intern)
Hello, my name is Priyank. I'm from India and an alumnus of IIT Kanpur. Currently, I'm pursuing Computer Science Masters at NYU Courant and am very interested in deep learning research projects, which has brought me to Clarifai. This is my first time visiting the West Coast (San Francisco) and so far I'm loving it :D. This is also my first opportunity working in such a diverse environment. Clarifai consists of people with shared interests coming from different regions of the world.
How did you hear about Clarifai?
Matthew Zeiler, CEO, is our alumnus. I have seen YouTube videos of his research presentations during my undergrad lectures.
What do you like best about your role?
I get to call my own shots on research projects, accompanied by the guidance of my mentors. Discussion with them has helped me to focus on an idea in a more productive manner. I also appreciate the work-life balance and schedule flexibility.
Any words of advice for the next set of summer interns?
There is plenty of guidance and a lot of experienced folk. Our researchers have diverse areas of expertise. Don’t ever be shy asking for help - no question is too big or too small.
How do you feel about putting pineapple on pizza?
NO!!! It is like replacing Heath Ledger's Joker with Jared Leto's one. There are some things that you just don’t do.
We are so grateful for Harmit, Erfan, and Priyank’s hard work and contributions and we wish them continued success. A major “Thank You” to our mentors and Clarifam team members for generously donating their time.
