Jacqueline Hochheiser, Corporate Communications
This summer, Mini-Circuits welcomed five new interns to our Brooklyn headquarters to gain hands-on experience with some of the company’s most central operations. The 2022 summer cohort brought an impressive and diverse set of skills to their respective functions which included software engineering, enterprise resource planning, finance and manufacturing. The summer internship program isn’t new by any means, but the company has devoted more resources to recruiting interns and providing a unique and enriching experience for students in a variety of fields as they begin their transition into the professional world.
As Mini-Circuits continues with aggressive recruitment plans to support ongoing growth, cultivating relationships with rising young professionals and providing a venue for them to initiate their careers and pursue their passions is a strategic priority for the business. We caught up with our 2022 summer interns for an interview, and it’s obvious that the experience has been as valuable and rewarding for the company as it’s been each of them. Here are some of the highlights from those conversations.
Jack Keri
As a double major in computer science and Russian language at Wittenberg University, Jack’s unique skillsets found a home in Mini-Circuits’ Software Engineering department. With a passion for cyber security, Jack was able to gain hands-on experience, test his skills, and validate his career ambitions.
“I wanted to get real-world experience with cybersecurity,” said Jack. “At Mini-Circuits I’ve had the opportunity to perform endpoint maintenance, update computers, and make sure that security systems are hardened and not vulnerable.”
Earlier in the internship, one of Jack’s favorite experiences was working with Information Security Analyst, Suhail Balasinor to set up a test environment where he was able to attempt to hack into a renewable machine. He was successful at both hacking the device and gaining access to the information inside. “That was very rewarding,” said Jack.
After Jack’s internship at Mini-Circuits concludes, he plans to study abroad in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to enhance his fluency in Russian.
Leonardo Gelbman
Coming to Mini-Circuits from Touro College, Leonardo is a double major in math and computer science. At Mini-Circuits, he enhancing his understanding of programming and applying the knowledge he’s acquired in school to real-life scenarios.
“My classes weren’t as applied as the projects I am working on at Mini-Circuits,” said Leonardo. “Here, I’m actually designing web apps and putting my skills to use in interesting ways.”
Throughout his internship, Leonardo has been working side-by-side with the software engineering team. As much as he’s enjoyed putting his existing skills and knowledge to task, he’s just as excited about the exposure he’s gained to new technologies. “The department gives me projects that fit the skills I had from school, but they also push me to learn new things,” he said.
One of Leonardo’s favorite projects involved working on a web-based data validation program that reads an excel file, checks the document for errors, uploads the information to a database, and then downloads the results. He hopes to get the application into service for Mini-Circuits production operations to make an impact on how people can work smarter.
“I like the process of getting a set of requirements that are new to me and then researching them online and solving problems on my own,” he says.
His passion for problem solving and learning new skills has served him well so far at Mini-Circuits, as it surely will wherever his career takes him.
Michael Adair
An economics major and computer science minor hailing from the University of Michigan, Michael has found a balance between his two passions at Mini-Circuits. His role in the finance department has exposed Michael to how corporations operate and work together with suppliers and how multiple, interconnected business operations come together to create a final product.
“There are a lot of applications to my major within the company that tie together the tech focus of RF, while also helping me learn a lot about the back end and what goes on in a company and how it operates,” he said.
In addition to the familiar territory of the financial side of his internship, Michael has found learning about RF technology as a non-engineer particularly engaging. “I’ve been taking the Bridge classes on RF to learn more about the space the company operates in,” said Michael. “At the same time, I’m learning fundamental skills in both finance and the corporate world in general that will help me succeed in the future.”
One of Michael’s goals going into the internship at Mini-Circuits was to apply the knowledge he’s acquired at school to a real-world environment and get hands-on experience solving problems he’d only seen in the classroom until now.
Reflecting on his experience, Michael commented, “I’ve definitely accomplished my goals. It’s eye-opening to see how the theories I’ve learned in school really play out in practice rather than on paper.”
Nathan Lo
As a computer science and data science double major at Purdue University, Nathan Lo was looking for an opportunity to get his feet wet in the IT profession. He found that opportunity with Mini-Circuits’ ERP team this summer.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity and to [Director of Enterprise Applications] Hrishikesh [Kotwal] for taking me on,” said Nathan. “As one of my first real-world experiences applying what I’ve learned in school to a corporate setting, I’ve taken away a lot of knowledge. Interacting with my fellow coworkers and interns has helped me learn a lot about the field. I feel like I’ve grown so much.”
Nathan is feeling out the possibilities of what a career in IT and software has to offer him, and he may even be interested in pursuing the entrepreneurial path.
“I think time will just have to tell,” he said. As a rising sophomore, Nathan already has big aspirations for his career, and Mini-Circuits is excited to see where his dedication and hard work take him.
Shriya Anand
No longer a newcomer, Shriya Anand completed an internship at Mini-Circuits in the summer of 2021 with the Software Engineering department. This year, she is back and excited to work alongside the Test Solutions team designing and building one of Mini-Circuits’ most rapidly growing product lines. Having just graduated high school, Shriya is ahead of the game gaining professional experience and figuring out what she wants for her future career. In the fall, she will attend Yale University and plans to study computer science and economics.
“Since I’ve already worked in the software department, I wanted to explore some new things,” said Shriya. “In Test Solutions, I’m working with CAD and the designers there. I really wanted to do something more creative. They recognize that I want to pursue computer science, and they’ve actually given me assignments tailored to those interests. It’s really been working!”
For the duration of her internship, Shriya has used the newfound knowledge from her experience to help the department find more efficient ways of accessing data, like creating new shortcuts for the Excel reports used by the team.
“Making a contribution is something that’s very important to me, and to be able to apply my CS background and come up with a simple solution to help the department is really rewarding.”
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