Meet the NCDIT Interns

Image: NCDIT-Environmental Quality intern William Rabun flies a drone with Secretary Weaver.

The N.C. Department of Information Technology has launched four new internship programs that have drawn high school, community college and university students and experienced workers changing their careers.

This summer, 16 interns, recruited from more than 250 applicants, are working on teams across NCDIT in four internship programs:

• Future Technologists, for high school students and adults who have an interest in technology but no directly related experience or education
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities, for students at those institutions
• Neurodiverse Program, for members of the neurodiverse community
• Workforce Diversity, for those with technology-related experience or education

They are also joined by two participants in the N.C. Department of Administration's State of N.C. Internship Program and Lady Cardinal Mentorship Program for high school girls interested in exploring science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers within state government.

Applications for fall 2023 internships are open for the Future Technologist, Neurodiverse and Workforce Diversity programs. The HBCU program will also open for summer 2024 internships in February 2024.

Learn more about our current interns.

Interest in NCDIT: Serving the community is what interested me in interning with NCDIT. I love my home state of North Carolina, and I am very excited to close the gap in the digital divide.

Favorite part of my internship: I am conducting research in my role here at NCDIT. I complete research on where internet access is needed most and how it may change the lives of those who are affected by a lack of internet connection. My favorite part about my role is the opportunity to collaborate with so many different people. I love meeting new people, and I have received the opportunity to meet people of so many different backgrounds here at NCDIT. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with everyone.

Goals: I am hoping to gain as many skills as possible while serving my community. I would love to start a career with NCDIT as an attorney. I am specifically interested in public policy and cybersecurity.

Educational and work background: I am graduate of North Carolina Central University with a bachelor's in criminal justice, and I am looking forward to attending law school soon.

Fun facts: I enjoy spending time with my family and friends when I am not working/interning, and I also enjoy weightlifting.

Interest in NCDIT: My degree is in computer science, and I want to build a career with the state. An NCDIT internship seemed like a good starting position for this goal.

Favorite part of my internship: I am working with large groups of data to create dashboards. I enjoy sifting through the data to create a clearer image of a bigger picture.

Goals: I'm hoping to convert my internship into a full-time position.

Educational and work background: My only work experience is that during high school I was a volunteer camp counselor for an online summer camp that used a video game called Minecraft to teach kids about the basics of engineering. As for my education, I am a college senior attending North Carolina State University studying computer science.

Fun facts: After work, I'll often take my bike down to Neuse River Greenway for about an hour. On the weekends, I like to go bowling at Buffaloe Lanes. Outside of this, I enjoy playing online and tabletop games with friends.

Interest in NCDIT: I was invited to the NC GovTech Summit as a part of the National Cyber Scholars program. There, I met a lot of people from the NCDIT and other agencies, and when I talked to them, I found the work interesting and very different than what I had seen before.

Favorite part of my internship: I am currently doing work automating a process that will help make internal and external NCDIT sites more accessible. My favorite part is getting to learn new things and working with my mentors on my projects.

Goals: This is my first internship, and I am looking for a good experience in both an IT job and the public sector. I hope to gain a lot of practical knowledge and be able to transfer the knowledge to school and future jobs.

Educational and work background: I am graduating high school this year and will be attending UNC-Chapel Hill to study computer science. This is my first formal work experience in the IT field, and I've done personal projects and research.

Fun facts: While I enjoy playing games and learning about new technologies, I also enjoy making rugs and other crafts-related activities. I am also doing a lot of personal projects and learning how to wire components and engineering.

Interest in NCDIT: I am a computer science student who attends North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. I had a strong interest in learning how to code websites while also gaining real-world work experience. NCDIT offered this and more, making it a perfect fit for me.

Favorite part of my internship: I work alongside other web developers on real-world projects. I am also able to join in on live meetings and see how professionals communicate to solve problems. My favorite part was meeting all the amazing people I would be working with this summer.

Goals: From my NCDIT internship, I am hoping to seek my first IT job in my field. My goal is to take the skills learned here and use them as I matriculate further in my career.

Educational and work background: I graduated top of my class as a salutatorian with a 4.01 GPA from an early college high school in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now I am a second-year college student at North Carolina A&T State University.

Fun facts: Some hobbies of mine include listening to podcasts, exercising and lifting weights.

Interest in NCDIT: I was taking a database management class during the spring semester, and I enjoyed learning SQL. When it was career fair time, I focused on database administration internships. This was the perfect opportunity because I wanted to work in my home state and see the ways that NCDIT helps people in the different parts of North Carolina.

Favorite part of my internship: I have learned a lot about what database administrators do on a day-to-day basis—for example, how database backups are scheduled and the importance of backups.

Goals: The outcome I am hope for my NCDIT intern was a lot of real-world experience. The things you learn in the classroom give you good foundational knowledge, but there is still a lot to learn about how to apply that knowledge to the real world.

Educational and work background: I am a junior information technology student at North Carolina A&T.

Fun facts: I play football at North Carolina A&T and have played football since I was 5.

​​​​​​​Interest in NCDIT: Currently, I am working as privacy awareness intern where I am learning technical ways to address the risks of the data leakage and create policies and make people aware about the importance of data/information and not exposing that information publicly

Favorite part of your internship: My favorite part of the work currently is dealing with the risks caused by exploiting the personal information or confidential information and learning how to educate people not to share personal identifiable information

Goals: As my NCDIT internship nears its conclusion, I’m excitedly looking ahead to the future. This enriching experience has solidified my aspirations for a career shift into the cybersecurity field. While my journey began with a focus on privacy awareness and IT, this internship has ignited a deep interest in cybersecurity. I’m eager to leverage the practical insights gained here and apply them to a new trajectory. This transition not only aligns with my career goals but also underscores my commitment to embracing opportunities within the public sector. The internship has served as a steppingstone toward realizing my ambition of contributing meaningfully to the cybersecurity landscape.

Educational and work background: I am currently pursuing a master's in computer science.

Fun facts: I cook, click and create cozy vibes. My hobbies mix flavors, photos and interiors for a harmonious blend of deliciousness and beauty.

Interest in NCDIT: What drew me towards NCDIT was the idea of being part of a visionary IT group, one that constantly shapes the future by threading together a beautiful tapestry of innovation. My fascination for IT, coupled with a curiosity to learn from seasoned professionals, led me straight to NCDIT's doorstep.

Favorite part of my internship: Working under the Deputy CIO Susan Penman feels like sailing in an ocean of boundless knowledge. With a high-level leader guiding the me, I am afforded unique opportunities to engage and learn directly from user support specialists, coders, project managers, procurement specialists and DevOps engineers.

This wide-ranging experience has been a treasure trove for me, allowing me to both observe and partake in the practical aspects of the IT world. However, the highlight of this incredible journey has to be the direct application of the concepts I've gleaned from UDEMY, LinkedIn and NCDIT courses. The moment of pure joy when the theoretical knowledge I've absorbed springs to life in real-world scenarios under the mentorship of Susan's team is truly unparalleled. This synergy of theoretical learning and practical application is undeniably my favorite part of this enriching internship at NCDIT.

Goals: This internship for me is like a beacon, guiding me towards my true calling in the vast universe of IT. I am here to soak up all I can, to understand the rudiments and nuances of information technology, my own personal IT 101.

Educational and work background: I am a freshman at Wake Technical Community College, and I recently graduated from Fuquay-Varina High school back in 2022. I have had an internship in real estate when I was in high school under Dianne Kleckner and was a team lead at Walmart prior to my internship.

Fun facts: When I am not delving into the realms of IT, I like to explore the world through my culinary experiments. There's nothing like a dish of Dominican sancocho, some sushi or a bit of Italian pasta to teleport you to a different place. And while I'm cooking, I often find myself conversing in Spanish or reading a French recipe – just another two of my fun quirks.

Interest in NCDIT: Working for the state of North Carolina was an early goal of mine as I began earning my degree. Working as an intern provides me with confidence that I am in the right place at the right time.

Favorite part of my internship: Part of what I am doing is helping my team analyze the capacity and availability of services, in addition to assisting with plans to reorganize the cooling capabilities of the data center.

Goals: My intention is to continue my public-sector career in IT and cybersecurity. My more specific plan is to remain at NCDIT full time.

Educational and work background: Before I earned a bachelor's degree in computer science at NC A&T, I earned a degree in emergency medical science and worked as a paramedic. I have also spent the last 9 years volunteering at The Shalom Project as a triage nurse and IT support.

Fun facts: I have been married for 16 years and have lived in North Carolina for 18 years. In addition to wrangling a mini zoo of two dogs, I love to travel quite a lot, including trips to England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, Sweden, France, Germany and Denmark.