This blog series offers a glimpse of reSET’s summer internship program in entrepreneurship. The series captures interns’ experiences, both with reSET’s curriculum and the startups that they are working alongside. Our fifth blogger, Ahmed Ali, is a student at Wesleyan University.

As a computer science and mathematics major, I‘ve mainly been working towards a high paying job; I’ve wanted an impressive career in which I can earn enough money to do whatever I want. I’ve desired a comfortable life that would hopefully afford me to make some small contribution to whatever neighborhood of Cityville, USA I end up living in. However, I more recently started volunteering for a number of community service activities. I worked at soup kitchens, home rebuilds, and food drives. And I immediately felt fulfilled by the work. In particular, I saw how lean nonprofits could benefit from my computer science skills. So I started brainstorming ways to form some type of group that can help charities in Connecticut with technical issues. As I traveled down this path, I learned about reSET.

I vividly remember sitting in an entrepreneurial class taught by Jeremy, my current manager at reSET, who was explaining the “ins and outs” of running a business. Maybe it was his mesmerizing, flowy hair. Or perhaps it was the actual material. But I felt energized by the lecture. The idea of running a business had always felt like a pipe dream to me, akin to my high school goal of playing in the NBA. However, with the path now laid out in front of me, I felt that I had the power to maybe start an enterprise of my own. It was at that point that I applied to the reSET Summer Internship, and to my good fortune, I was accepted.

reSET has paired me with two excellent startups this summer: Two Happy Homes and Friendly Agent Bot. Under the tutelage of my project supervisors, I’ve learned and applied several skills related to web and app development, competitor research, blog and article writing, graphic design, and more. I look forward to every meeting, email, and assignment from them, as it always presents an opportunity to apply what I know, but also to gain real world experience. The projects I work on aren’t small personal ones anymore, but fruitful ones that benefit the world around me. On the non-technical side of things, I learn how they conduct their meetings, business decisions, and balance everything with their personal lives.

For the reSET Innovation Challenge, two co-interns and I are developing a platform that could potentially connect people with their communities and foster engagement. In the beginning couple of weeks, we had no idea where to start such an ambitious project. We were tasked with having a business model, source of revenue, distribution method, marketing plan, etc. However, week after week, the three of us have met and discussed the concept. I want to express how thankful I am for my partners, Andrew and Anna. Together, we’ve learned how vital it is to work as a team, and we have actually formulated a solid business plan. I truly feel like I’m leveraging my budding computer skills in a way that’s aligned with my beliefs.

For most people our age, it’s difficult to find inspiration and an avenue to put that energy to use. But at reSET, I’ve been blessed to not only find both, but several like-minded peers. In addition to that, I’m constantly in awe by what the reSET community at large is working on. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to work at reSET, and am proud to be an intern here.