Kelly Chan

College: Baruch College

Education Level: Freshman

Career Interest: Software Engineer, UX/UI Design

My name is Kelly Chan, and I was born and raised in New York City. I am a first-year Computer Information Systems major at CUNY Baruch College. I became interested in the field of technology because I wanted to use my knowledge and abilities to improve the quality and productivity of other people's lives. I fell in love with coding through the realization that coding could do so many different things. To follow my passion, I took advantage of the Girls Who Code summer program, to further my interest in the technology field, and helped me build skills in coding languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. I was able to create projects, such as a personal website, personality quizzes, a social good website, and more. On a daily basis, I enjoy hanging out with my mini golden-doodle, but when I have more time, I enjoy trying new cuisines and restaurants. In my free time, I enjoy vlogging and making video edits, whether it be new foods I try, places I travel to, or experiences I share with my friends. When it gets warmer, I enjoy beating my friends and family in a friendly game of tennis or badminton. Something about me that only my close friends would know is that I have to carry Sriracha around with me because if it isn’t spicy, the food isn’t good. Also, if you were to see me in person, you would be able to tell that my favorite color is pink since almost everything I have is in the color pink.

What was your role?

UX/UI

What did you work on?

What was the impact of your project?

I understand that Unadat is a free program that can help everyone stay out of debt, get out of debt, or simply help manage their money. I am excited to be a part of the project and make an impact on many. I am on the Goals Store team and from my understanding I know it’s a team on prototypes for the moment. I hope by the end of the internship, the goals store will be launched and have a big impact on the platform and for users. From what I recall it would be comparable to recommendations in shopping sections. I hope that will allow users to interact more frequently with Unadat and create an enhanced profile to better know how to manage their funds.

What did you learn or improve on from this internship or from your teammates?

What skills have you gained?

I have learned how to better manage my time between school, life, and this internship. Additionally, I have had the chance to work on my communication skills, whether it be written or verbal. I am also learning on being more innovative and creative with my thought process. Since most of the jobs I had before have always been telling me what to do, Unadat instead is almost very hands-off and lets you take charge.

What was the biggest roadblock you've overcome?

The biggest roadblock I had to overcome was adjusting my schedule. Since I usually work during summer breaks, this was my first time working during the school semester and I had to learn how to balance everything. I’m glad that Unadat is pretty flexible and considerate of people’s time, which made things easier. I first learned how difficult it can be to balance work, life, and school, but I’m not adjusting well. In addition, I understand the importance of working hard and taking mental breaks when needed.

How has company culture guided your work?

What was your experience at Unadat?

What was one big project you worked on during the internship? Can you walk me through the process?

What advice would you give to future interns?

The onboarding advice I would give to the next group of interns is to learn how to manage and organize your time well. Try to strategize your schedule. For example, if you know you are doing an internship, try to plan your class schedules in the morning or at night so you can make time to work and hang out with friends. I would also say that it’s okay to take breaks when things feel frustrating and that you can reach out to your teammates for help. Some advice I would give to Unadat would be to reach out to the interns sooner or maybe create some in-person events so interns can get to know each other better.