This summer I had the extremely rewarding experience of being a data science intern at Knack. I got first hand experience learning about Knack’s development stack and first hand experience working in a fast paced start-up environment. It was a great experience where, even as an intern, I could make an impact everyday. I had the privilege of working with a talented development and business team dedicated to transforming the world of education and peer-to-peer learning.

Why Knack:

Knack is a fast-growing EdTech start up with a mission to connect students and tutors in order to cultivate peer-to-peer learning communities. I was impressed that Knack’s mission was oriented around using technology to help students learn rather help students than copy and paste homework answers which is unique compared to other EdTech companies. I also wanted to get experience working at a start up since most of my other experiences had been at large, bureaucratic institutions. Finally, the most important reason I interned at Knack was the chance to work on an interesting and important project. My project was subject similarity search. This involved using natural language processing to create better search results. Subject similarity search gave me the chance to grow as a developer and data scientist by having the opportunity to sink my teeth into an important project.

My experience:

I had the privilege of working with and learning from a talented development team this summer. The entire team at Knack encouraged me to learn and grow during my entire summer at Knack. This helped me broaden my problem solving approach to be more than just a hammer looking for a nail, but craftsman using the entire toolbox. The hands-on nature of development at Knack encouraged me to think broadly about how to solve problems. This meant not just thinking about only a certain model or solution, but how the model or solution fits into the overall development process and the final product. The team helped me go from “I don’t know” to “I have a solution” and that support helped me become a more complete developer. The Tampa Bay Area may not be the first Bay Area that people think of when they hear about tech and start-up jobs, but it is growing quickly and the start up scene is impressive. I am grateful that I got to see it up close and be a part of it.

Highlights:

  • Working with a crazy-talented development team
  • Opportunity to work from home on Monday and Friday
  • Free Lunch —- get those Tampa Bay eats!
  • Contributing to company “Hot Topic” sessions
  • Learning about development and business in a fast growing start up
  • Ability to give input about the product
  • Supportive environment where you have the opportunity to grow as a developer and a person
  • Great offsite and team building events
  • Exploring the rapidly growing Tampa Bay tech scene