Build Apps with WillowTree

  Write a summary of your performance from your supervisor’s point of view.  What would he/she say about you?  Write this in the third person. Anish joined our team as an intern with a solid background in Python and seemed genuinely thrilled about the chance to learn and work with a modern JavaScript framework on backend API development. When I first met him, his curious nature was instantly evident. We had lunch together on his first day, and throughout our conversation, he was keen on learning what an API was and how it was utilized in a modern enterprise application. In the early days of his internship, Anish didn't have access to our codebase, so he spent time 33setting up his environment, going through guides about our framework, and asking insightful questions. It was clear from the onset that he was champing at the bit to delve into the codebase and start applying some of the methodologies and concepts we'd been discussing. It wasn't long before Anish's enthusias...

  During my internship with WillowTree, I had the opportunity to work on an interactive mobile application project for a large textbook publishing company that has significant potential to bolster my resume and aligns directly with my post-graduation goals. The assignment involved client work and aimed to enhance the overall textbook experience. One of the most valuable aspects of this experience was being exposed to the modern project development paradigm, particularly Agile/Scrum methodologies. Throughout the summer, I worked in an Agile environment, actively participating in demos, sprint planning, refinement sessions, and other Agile practices. Initially, adapting to this methodology posed a challenge as it was different from my previous academic experiences. However, I quickly embraced the Agile approach and overcame this challenge by demonstrating adaptability and proactively engaging in the team's Agile processes. This hands-on experience with Agile methodology is a signific...

  While working on the backend for a front-end architecture-based codebase during my internship, I realized how critical a robust logging system is. Logs are like a backend system's eyes and ears and provide essential info to troubleshoot problems. Our existing setup heavily depended on the default logging system that came with our backend JS framework. It wasn't flexible at all when it came to customizing logs, which would've made large-scale log analysis so much easier. Despite being given pretty vague instructions to improve the logging, I took up the challenge. I started by adding more context to our active logs, thinking this could be an initial step to our issue. However, a really insightful conversation with the platform engineer made it clear. We needed to think beyond the box and create a whole new custom logger to replace our current system. This would allow us to tweak the log format in a single place, and it'd automatically apply to all our logs - a real-tim...

Coming into my summer internship, I had a basic understanding of the distinction between back-end and front-end roles while working on a large-scale application. I thought front-end work would be more fulfilling, given the immediate visual feedback you get to experience, as opposed to observing changes in data or log files from backend development. Having spent the majority of my time in the back end, with just one week dedicated to the front end, my perspective has completely shifted. I saw the backend work not as a stream of monotonous coding tasks, but as a canvas for creativity and problem-solving. Unlike front-end design, where I found myself confined to creating interactive pages based on pre-established design mockups with little to no room for deviation, the backend work allowed me to utilize my creative abilities to devise solutions and make the application work. The backend work came with its unique set of challenges and standards that needed to adhere to, yet it endowed me w...

       In my role as an intern software engineer on a mobile application middleware team, I got the real deal of a developer's life, rather than just some low-priority summer project. I was part of the team, attending daily, weekly, and quarterly meetings for feature discussions and planning As a newbie, I came into this not expecting to make a substantial contribution, thinking I'd spend the whole summer just trying to understand the codebase. However, my team and mentor pushed me to learn quickly and involved me by assigning tasks that exposed me to the various aspects of our projects. This helped me get a more comprehensive grasp of our work sooner than I expected. One of my significant contributions was around the middle of my intern period. It was a quality-of-life ticket that I used to overhaul the entire backend logging system. With this, I made a lasting impact on the system, and it filled me with a great sense of achievement. The ticket was pretty drastic bu...

  This internship has been a game-changer for my future career in computer science. It's shown me the real-world application of what I've learned in class. I used to think that coding was all theory and no practicality, but this experience proved me wrong in the best way possible. One big thing I've gained from this internship is confidence. At the start, I felt like a total imposter. I didn't know the coding language or the framework they were using, and I constantly questioned myself. It seemed like everyone else had it all together, while I was struggling to keep up. But as I tackled my first few tasks, I realized that my approach wasn't completely off-base. Sure, I needed some guidance from the other developers, but I was on the right track. By my third task, I had kicked imposter syndrome to the curb and was ready to take on bigger challenges. On top of boosting my confidence, this internship has also given me a ton of technical expertise. I've learned abou...

Based on my experience at WillowTree, there are several crucial skills that are essential for an individual to be successful in an organizational context such as this one. While some of these skills are comparable to those required in academia, they often operate on different scales. First and foremost, the ability to work effectively in a team and collaborate with others is vital. At Berea College, teamwork and communication were emphasized in classes, but at WillowTree, the scale of collaboration is much larger. It is crucial to communicate not only with members of your own team, but also with individuals from other disciplines such as front-end, product, design, and upper management. Being a strong team player and effectively communicating with various stakeholders is key to success in this company. Another crucial skill that I have found essential at WillowTree is resourcefulness. While the company offers a range of resources, it is up to individuals to explore and utilize them to...