And just like that, another round of CNF’s Summer Internship Program has come to an end. This summer, CNF hosted two interns: Brian a computer engineering student at the University of Texas San Antonio and Paxton a computer information systems student at St. Mary’s University, both seniors in college.
Internship Coordinator Liz Vasquez and Program Manager Jason Morales led the program’s efforts that had significant contribution from Project Manager Elisha Gerhardt.
According to Jason, “As cyber security professionals, we have a responsibility to teach and inspire the next generation of cyber warriors. The CNF internship program allows highly skilled cyber professionals to mentor and guide current STEM students who are interested in a career in cybersecurity.”
Jason discussed mentoring the interns during the 12-week program, wherein they had the opportunity to solve real world challenges while learning and emphasizing software development, best Agile practices, vulnerability research and reverse engineering. “We hope we can continue to be at the forefront of the cyber domain as we continue to foster an environment that promotes success for future cyber warfighters.”
Elisha said, “We are proud to announce that our Summer 2023 Internship Program was a huge success! We had two interns who both made significant contributions to our team confronting numerous technical challenges head on. We are so grateful to Brian and Paxton for their hard work and dedication to our mission. They are both talented and motivated individuals, and we are confident that they will have bright futures ahead of them.”
Liz spoke of her colleagues, the selfless mentors that take additional time out of their demanding workdays to share their passion and provide teachable moments that may not have been available to them early in their education or career. “I am grateful to be a part of the CNF Internship Program that introduces students to not only future job opportunities, but The CNF Way. Observing each intern from start to finish, you can see the professional and personal growth. Our mentors are unmatched and do an incredible job in the teaching and preparing our interns for the real world and for CNF’s future.” stated Liz.
During the final moments of the intern’s graduation, each took time to express their appreciation and thoughts on CNF’s program. Paxton shared this was his second internship experience and what he gained during his time with CNF is unrivaled. Paxton spoke of the time investment CNF team members made and said the hands-on, face-to-face learning is invaluable.
Brian stated that he was unsure of what to expect, as it was his first internship experience, but that he was very impressed of what he was taught and how. He went on to describe the patience and enthusiasm each mentor had while working with him.
“My summer as an intern was amazing. The team put a genuine focus on us learning about the work they do and how to apply the things we learn in the classroom, as well as, teaching us new things by passing down their experiences in the industry. One thing I appreciated a lot was their patience and willingness to teach us, regardless of our background or previous experience! CNF has a fantastic program that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn about software development and/or reverse engineering. This was my first internship and they set the bar high for future ones! Thank you to Elisha, Sonora, Rory, Ricky, Vince, Jason, RJ, Paul, Liz, and everyone who made this program possible,” stated Brian.
CNF is proud of our 2023 Summer Interns and wishes them the best of luck in the future.
A special thank you to each CNF team member whose time and contributions made the internship program what it is today.
To read more on CNF’s past interns, visit San Antonio area students shine in CNF Summer Internship – CNF Technologies