Highlighting Our Star Interns in the iXp Program

This summer I joined the SAP iXp Program as their team’s intern. In my role curating content for the iXp social channels, it’s integral to reach out to interns regularly about their projects and experience at SAP. I created the Instagram campaign called #SaturdaySpotlight, which is focused on the personal and professional growth of three interns throughout the summer. Setting the spotlight on these star interns, let's dive into their stories and read about their passions and goals: 

Meet Ava Nia 

Ava Nia, Marketing Intern, SAP Concur
Vienna, Virginia 

Ava is a dedicated polyglot. She speaks four languages, teaches her native French, and is learning her fifth language, Italian. Her linguistic knowledge has helped her gain a better cultural understanding of the markets she is in direct contact with every day. She says she’ll be actively looking for full-time opportunities at SAP Concur once she completes her marketing degree at George Mason University in May 2019.

Q: How has your language knowledge helped you in your internship?
A: One of the exciting part of my internship has been that I have been able to learn new marketing strategies that further my understanding of the markets I’m targeting in my projects. Coupled with the cultural background I already have, I believe I have been able to target new audiences effectively. In a broader sense, knowing the language helped me understand the different locations better and it gives me a better insight on the customers I work with in those countries. This is very important in an international company like SAP Concur.

Q: You have various projects during this internship as well as your personal interests – studying languages, design and fashion, to name a few. How do you manage all of it?
A:  I have a saying, “do it with passion or don’t do it.” Managing my projects and coordinating with my team was difficult at the beginning, but I love what I do, and I am determined to be successful in my work. I am highly passionate about the work and for me it is just about taking advantage of those opportunities.

You can see her #SaturdaySpotlight post here.

Meet Julia Donovan 

Julia Donovan, Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity & Inclusion Intern 
SAP Concur, Bellevue 

Having grown up in Oakland, California, Julia was always surrounded by diversity, and this is where her passion for people formed. She strives to help others rise up to their challenges, a philosophy that guides her to help people on their own journeys and meeting them where they are. Let’s see how Julia has grown to do this within her summer internship:

Q: What is your vision for your growth during these 10 weeks? 
A: I see myself developing my confidence. My team knows I can create quality work, but I must believe that in myself, too and work hard to meet my goals. Another area where I see growth is in my networking skills. I want to be able to meet with anyone and everyone, even when I am uncomfortable reaching out. However, here at SAP Concur I am able to connect with people who also want to connect with me. 

Q: What is your biggest takeaway from this internship?
A: I have come to realize how important it is to care to your employees. This way, they can build on their passions and are motivated to be more productive. Not only have I been able to curate and foster the employee experience within my role, I have also lived it as well. I see myself feeling more accountable for the work that I do because this sense of ownership in my work that has been cultivated here within SAP Concur. 

“This internship has also been a good reminder to never pass up an opportunity to network and grow.”

You can see her #SaturdaySpotlight post here.

Meet Hunter Heidenreich

Hunter Heidenreich 
Data Science Intern, SAP Conversational AI, Palo Alto

As an East Coast native, Hunter was eager to explore the opportunities in the Bay Area. So far, he faced his fear of the ocean and went surfing, plus has taken up photography. Currently, he is pursuing a computer science degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia. In his role at SAP ICN, he explored machine learning and built on his data science skills, which were mostly self-taught. 

Q: How did you become interested in machine learning?
A: In high school, I read an article about self-driving vehicles and the dilemma of how the technology is impacting the decision-making that the vehicle takes. This fueled my interest in creating technology that could save lives and change the world. 

“It is thrilling to see what makes technology intelligent, but it is also frustrating when it doesn’t work.”

Q: How were you able to use your prior knowledge in machine learning and what have you learned in your role?
A: I built my projects from the ground up, I read the fundamentals and did the research from the ground up which added to my practical education. These were conversations that had real impact on our products and with our business goals, and they helped me be more professionally confident because I was forced to apply, to explain concepts and it helped me fill in the gaps of my knowledge. Likewise, because I am talking to tech and non-tech teams everyday who may not necessarily have the same background but do have the experience, it forces me to express my learning in a way that makes sense to everyone but does not shortchange them based on what they know. 

You can visit Hunter’s blog to learn more about his project and see his #SaturdaySpotlight post here.