WRITTEN BY SAGE CORPS 2017 ALUMNA, KIMMY TUTTLE.
WHY SAGE CORPS?
As my sophomore year at Claremont McKenna College came to a close, I felt immense pressure from my peers and my environment to land an awesome internship. The previous summer, I worked as a congressional intern for my local government representative. It was a wonderful experience, but I was looking for something different my sophomore year. My interests in entrepreneurship and technology developed as I began to take more diverse college courses and I was ready to have a challenging internship that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was ready to be fully independent and pursue my passions, but I was not sure where to begin. Students around me were utilizing connections they had from family and friends to get their internships; however, I was not lucky enough to have connections in the tech industry. I was consulting my school’s career website regularly, searching for a standout tech opportunity, but nothing was catching my eye. The end of the year was glooming over me and the pressure to find an internship was increasing in my mind. I began to wonder if I was being too picky in my job search. Then, I heard about Sage Corps from my roommate who was in the process of applying to be a summer fellow in Buenos Aires – and everything fell into place from there.
ON THE GROUND
From the beginning, I knew Sage Corps would be a perfect fit for me. I applied to be a Sage Corps summer fellow in Dublin and was accepted. Sage Corps matched me with an awesome startup called FenestraPro. FenestraPro is a B2B startup of six people that create façade design software for architects. I quickly adjusted to life in Dublin and began to flourish in my internship. My day-to-day consisted of collaborating with my colleagues to design a new user interface for our software, as well as designing and improving the website. The objective of all of my tasks was to increase the number of and improve B2B relations. The experience was everything I wanted and more. I was able to develop new skills in a hands-on way. My technical skills developed faster than I ever thought was possible.
In addition to my job, I attended Sage Corps’ weekly program events. These events were my favorite part about my summer in Dublin. I was given the opportunity to network and build professional relationships with extremely talented individuals. The Startup Grind events, as well as the Google networking hangouts, were very beneficial in allowing us to build a professional network, as well as a lot of fun. I am still very connected to my network of friends and professionals in Dublin. I have a mutually beneficial relationship with my colleagues and I am always looking for opportunities to grow with them. Most importantly, I am best friends with the cohort of Dublin summer fellows I traveled with. The Dublin tech scene offers a very fast-paced and exciting environment, and I am extremely thankful that I got to live in it with some of my best friends. The Sage Corps community is supportive, resourceful, and motivating. The people that you meet and the relationships that you make will undoubtedly last a long time.
I walked away from Dublin with new technical skills, new connections, and a new cultural understanding. Though, my biggest takeaway from my Sage Corps experience is the perspective I gained on my future career. Sage Corps prepared me in so many ways for the future. It provided me with the experience I needed to feel comfortable in professional endeavors, and I am now confident in my intended career path.
WHERE IS SHE NOW?
My professional and personal ventures in Dublin prepared me well for my future career path. I am now a senior at Claremont McKenna College, preparing to graduate with a dual degree in International Relations and Legal Studies. I intend on pursuing law school and entering the tech field with a legal background. Sage Corps taught me many valuable skills that got me to where I am today. I learned hard skills, like coding, design, and market research strategies, as well as soft skills like networking, adaptability, and eagerness to learn. These skills have assisted me in finding jobs, making meaningful connections, and reaching personal goals. A couple of years ago, I sought out Sage Corps hoping I could gain valuable experience from it. Sage Corps did that and so much more. Sage Corps has been an integral part of my maturation and personal development.
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