McKEESPORT, Pa. — A meaningful internship allows a student to apply classroom knowledge, develop professional skills, and gain insight into their future career. For Joshua Siegel, a bachelor of science in information technology student at Penn State Greater Allegheny, that meant stepping into a role at Intelometry where he could contribute to software development.
Siegel completed his internship under work site supervisor Rosary Giang, with faculty adviser Jennifer Breese. As a junior software developer, he tested application software user interfaces, updated applications, and learned industry-standard development tools such as Azure DevOps and Visual Studio. He gained experience when he was entrusted with professional development workflows that involved coordinating testing within a team and working with a range of programming languages.
He credited Penn State Greater Allegheny courses with preparing him for the internship, noting that group projects, real-world assignments, exposure to diverse technologies, programming experience, and internship preparation for the professional working world helped him approach tasks with confidence and adaptability.
Siegel said he encourages other students preparing for internships to research their companies and organizations in which they are interested, set realistic goals, and be ready to embrace unfamiliar challenges, ask questions, and document experiences to showcase skills for future career opportunities.
Penn State Greater Allegheny gives students real-world experience through internships that put classroom learning into action, build confidence, and help explore career paths with guidance from experienced mentors. Schedule a visit today and learn how the campus helps students earn a degree while gaining hands-on experience.
Employers interested in providing students with internship opportunities can submit information through Greater Allegheny's internship opportunity form or email Rosemary Martinelli, internship director, at rum31@psu.edu. All the details don't need to be figured out, just have a good idea and willingness to guide a student.