The University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno is one of five colleges and one of three four-year universities in the nation to be selected to participate in TechWise, an equity and inclusion program designed by TalentSprint and supported by Google. Each academic year, the 18-month program provides full financial assistance for undergraduate students to become world-class entry-level software engineers by the time they graduate.
The virtual program includes a full program scholarship as well as a $5,000 stipend and includes a one-on-one Google Mentorship for the students selected for the program.
The University's first cohort of TechWise students graduated with their degrees in May and will complete the TechWise program in September. New cohorts of students are continuing to move their way through the program. Below are a few responses from several current and graduating TechWise students, highlighting the impact of the program.
Sebastian Andrade (Spring '25)
Computer Science and Engineering Major
How do you think the TechWise program influenced your education and future career options?
I believe that TechWise has had a very positive influence on my education and future career options. It gave me the confidence I needed in my skills as a student programmer to apply them to real-world projects and in my University coursework. It has also helped me build on my leadership, time management, and creativity skills after working through these projects which enhanced my learning experience and prepared me for the challenges of the industry. In regards to future career options, the program included courses to build my technical resume, improve my LinkedIn profile as well as provided resources from career coaches to help me in interview preparation.
What has been most valuable about the program for you so far?
What has been most valuable for me about this program would have to be the mentorship part of the program. My mentor has played an essential role in my journey as a TechWise student. Their guidance, advice, and support have been invaluable to me and enhanced my learning experience for which I am grateful.
Carl Antiado (Spring '23)
Computer Science and Engineering Major
What are your post-graduation plans?
Very soon, I'll be moving to Madison, Wisconsin to begin working at Epic Systems as a software developer.
How do you think the TechWise program influenced your education and future career options?
TechWise connected me to a wonderful mentor from Google who really pushed me to apply myself and provided me with opportunities to develop great projects under the guidance of the great instructors.
What has been most valuable about the program for you so far?
The most valuable part of the program was the direct and dedicated support. Throughout the lectures and development of projects, the instructors were always willing and happy to assist in learning the material and debugging any problems.
What do you see as the future of software engineering (and where do you hope to make an impact in the field)?
As I see it, AI and machine learning (ML) will continue to grow very quickly, with ChatGPT taking the world by storm earlier this year. These new technologies will impact our everyday lives, for good and for bad, and I want to eventually be one of the developers at the forefront of AI and ML.
Kobe Maristela (Spring '23)
Computer Science and Engineering Major, Biology Major
What are your post-graduation plans?
Pursuing a career in software engineering (and/or cyber security) and possibly weaving in my background in biology in the field.
Has the TechWise program influenced your education and future career options?
Definitely! Early on, I was afraid to pursue paths I thought were out of reach. However, with the TechWise program, I began to gain more confidence in myself and "shoot my shot" in all fields that interest me. TechWise has revolutionized my thinking that anything is possible if I put my mind to it!
What has been most valuable about the program for you?
The people. Everyone has been really helpful throughout the entire process. Any help I needed, whether it was career advice, making my LinkedIn better, or simply just talking about life, someone was there to reach out to. The program has been a great asset to my life and has been a pinnacle in helping shape my career!
What do you see as the future of software engineering (and/or where do you hope to make an impact in the field)?
I see the future of software engineering to be ever-expanding! By 2080, I believe every household will have someone that knows how to code! I want to make an impact on network security. Every day more and more people are impacted by breaches/hacks over which they have no control. I want to help people be safer on the web and increase awareness of the risk/harm everyone faces daily. In addition, I want to create a system where privacy and security for the people are the number one priority and where no one company has a monopoly on anyone's data.
Anything else you’d like to add about your experience with TechWise?
I highly recommend the program to anyone and everyone! Learning to code is not only for people pursuing a tech career. Technology is evolving, and having a foot in the field will help anyone tenfold! TechWise is not a program to produce software engineers; it is a bridge for anyone from ALL ethnicities and social backgrounds who want to learn and learn without fear of failure to ultimately change and shape their community and the whole world!
Jessica Nam (Spring '24)
Computer Science and Engineering major
What are your post-graduation plans?
Post-graduation I plan on working a few years in the software engineering industry and getting valuable real-world experience. I then aim to go to graduate school to pursue a master's in data science or machine learning.
How do you think the TechWise program influenced your education and future career options?
The TechWise program has had a huge impact on my education and potential career prospects. It provided me with a comprehensive understanding of key software engineering principles, such as object-oriented programming (OOP), web development, data structures, and systems design. These technical skills are fundamental in the modern tech industry and make me a strong candidate for a variety of software engineering roles. In addition to the technical knowledge, the program also emphasized real-world project experience. The opportunity to work on three substantial team projects allowed me to apply the theory I had learned into practice.
In almost every interview I have had for software engineering roles, the employer has always asked about Techwise and the projects I did during my time in this program. It helped me realize just how valuable this program is to my future and it makes me a strong candidate in this competitive industry.
What has been most valuable about the program for you so far?
The most valuable aspect of the TechWise program for me has been the team projects. These have allowed me to apply the theoretical knowledge I've gained, and have resulted in tangible artifacts that significantly enhance my portfolio. They demonstrate my ability to work on complex, real-world problems, and showcase my skills in a way that is directly visible to potential employers.
What do you see as the future of software engineering (and where do you hope to make an impact in the field)?
The future of software engineering, in my view, is linked with the advancement of AI and machine learning technologies. They have the potential to revolutionize various fields, from healthcare to transportation, and beyond. In terms of my impact, I hope to contribute to the development of ethical AI solutions that can address real-world challenges, ensuring that these technologies are used responsibly to foster inclusivity and make positive societal changes
Lanielle Pavlick (Spring '25)
Computational Linguistics Major, Computer Science and Engineering Minor
What are your post-graduation plans?
If all goes well, I will use UNR's accelerated master's program to earn a degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
Has the TechWise program influenced your education and future career options?
The fact that TechWise was going to teach me the basics of software development helped me more confidently change my major from Computer Science to Computational Linguistics.
What has been most valuable about the program for you?
TechWise is broadening my programming knowledge by introducing new ideas, programming languages, and coding philosophies. I believe this information will be useful in whatever Computer Science-related career path I choose.
What do you see as the future of software engineering (and/or where do you hope to make an impact in the field)?
It looks like the use and development of Artificial Intelligence systems is only going to become more prominent. I hope to work on systems related to human language, which will likely have a large overlap with AI.
Javier Perez (Spring '23)
Computer Science and Engineering Major, Mathematics Minor
What are your post-graduation plans?
My post-graduation plans are to continue my studies and pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at the Ohio State University.
How do you think the TechWise program influenced your education and future career options?
Techwise had a major influence on my education and future career options as it exposed me to a wide range of technologies that are popular in the tech industry that I would not have otherwise learned about on my own. Topics such as web and game development weren't really covered as part of my undergraduate program,
so having Techwise there as an additional source of learning was critical for developing skills in these prevalent fields.
What has been most valuable about the program for you so far?
I see AI as the future of software development. Specifically, I believe technologies like Large Language Models (e.g. ChatGPT) will be applied to far more industries with automation as the central goal. I personally hope to make an impact in this field by exploring the medical applications of AI and developing safe, inexpensive, and efficient software as the focus of my graduate studies.
Melanie Sanchez (Spring '23)
Computer Science and Engineering Major, Mathematics Minor
What are your post-graduation plans?
Take the summer off to recharge as well as focus on the TechWisecapstone project. Then start job-hunting in September when I graduate from TechWise.
How has the TechWise program influenced your education and future career options?
TechWise has made me feel that all doors are open. It doesn't matter how big or small a company may be. I know that I am equipped with the necessary skills to succeed.
What has been most valuable about the program for you?
Hands-on, real-world training. While important, school is, for the most part, very theory-based. You get to learn how and why things work, and that's a big part of the foundation, but when it comes to actual building and implementation, I was lost before TechWise. TechWise gave me the tools and practice to be able to apply that theory-based knowledge from school into action and be able to create really cool things.
I am very grateful for TechWise and all the skills and tools it has provided me. I feel more confident going into the workforce, feeling that I have been taught the necessary skills to succeed.
What do you see as the future of software engineering (and where do you hope to make an impact in the field)?
I see myself working as a software engineer at a company whose values and work culture align with mine. I am hoping to make an impact in the field of either AI, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, or Web Development.
Aidan Vancil (Spring '24)
Computer Science and Engineering Major, Mathematics Minor
What are your post-graduation plans?
Upon graduation, I am excited to embark on the next phase of my career as a software engineer. I have been diligently preparing myself for this transition, and my goal is to secure a full-time position at a reputable software engineering company where I can apply all the skills from my education here at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno and from TechWise. I am eager to contribute to real-world projects, collaborate with experienced engineers, and continue my professional development.
How do you think the TechWise program influenced your education and future career options?
TechWise has been a game-changer in expanding my future career options. It has provided me with a comprehensive and industry-focused curriculum beyond theoretical knowledge, as it emphasizes practical skills by helping students apply themselves to real-world applications. Through rigorous coursework, hands-on projects, and exposure to new languages and tools, (i.e. mentoring, etc.) the program has truly influenced my education by providing me with the problem-solving skills and the technical skillset that is highly sought after in the industry.
What has been most valuable about the program for you so far?
By far, the most valuable part of the program so far has been the emphasis on networking opportunities and collaboration. At TechWise, I have been able to work with a variety of diverse professionals which helps me learn from new perspectives. Additionally, the hands-on projects within TechWisehave helped me develop vital teamwork, project management, and communication skills, which are often overlooked.
What do you see as the future of software engineering (and where do you hope to make an impact in the field)?
In the future, I can easily see a world that is more reliant on cloud computing. With applications becoming more demanding, platforms will be put in place to help create scalable, flexible, and reliable infrastructure for online applications, and cloud computing will be the exploding industry that settles this. Likewise, this is where I hope to be. With an ongoing internship in AWS (Amazon Web Services) this summer, I look forward to being with a company that does cloud computing as the industry grows in the near future. Here, I believe I can truly make an impact.
