Road Trip: Philadelphia Edition
The Penn Engineering Online community is comprised of students from 50 countries around the world who are pursuing Ivy League graduate studies in the fields of Data Science, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. While students do not physically study together on-campus at the University, there are times when the virtual classroom does become more tangible. The Road Trip program is one of those instances.
Road Trip events were developed by Penn Engineering Online’s dedicated Career Services team in order to support online master’s students by offering in-person opportunities that will enhance their personal and professional development. To accomplish this goal, the Road Trip program brings Penn Engineering Online staff to cities where our online graduate students live. In each location, the Road Trip team facilitates professional networking opportunities and site visits at local employers. In recent years, Road Trips have been hosted in Seattle, New York, Vancouver, San Francisco and Boston. These events allow students to not only gain exposure to potential employers, but also to widen their knowledge of potential roles and organizations they may wish to consider as they chart their career pathways and plan for the future. Road Trips also permit students to forge connections with classmates and peers who they may have only ever met before via digital platforms, such as the student Slack community or Zoom study groups.
Last month, the Penn Engineering Online team was able to invite students in the online Master of Science in Engineering in Data Science (MSE-DS Online) and the online Master of Computer and Information Technology (MCIT Online) degree programs to join them in Penn’s home base of Philadelphia. Attendees explored two local employers, Cesium and Perpay, where they engaged with current employees, including Penn alumni and recruiters, at both organizations.
Cesium
A total of 16 students joined the Road Trip team for the Cesium site visit to learn about the company’s work using software to build powerful 3D geospatial applications. Attendees joined a recruiter information session and an employee panel discussion, garnering insights into Cesium operations and corporate culture.
Perpay
The Road Trip team was joined by 15 students at Perpay to explore the mission and goals of the fintech organization as well as learn about potential roles and opportunities. Participants heard from a panel of Perpay leadership and a panel of Penn alumni who are now Perpay employees.
The Penn Engineering Online team appreciates the hospitality shown by Cesium and Perpay and thanks all of the students who made this Philadelphia Road Trip a great success. Look out for the next Road Trip, coming soon to a city near you!