Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles about students in the College of Information Sciences and Technology completing internships this summer.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — David Shaw, a junior studying security and risk analysis in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology, is spending his summer in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, as a summer instructor at iD Tech Camps, the world’s top-rated tech camp.
The tech camp teaches children and teenagers various aspects of technology, including coding, design, development and robotics. Camps are held at universities in over 150 locations throughout North America, Asia and Europe.
As an instructor, Shaw teaches for five hours each day, prepares lessons, and troubleshoots computers and programs. While he is inspiring the next generation of programmers and cybersecurity professionals, Shaw is also building his own resume and opening doors for his future.
“I would definitely say that I have a passion for teaching, especially about topics I enjoy,” Shaw said. “I think that after college I want to go into the consulting field, so I saw this internship as a perfect opportunity to gain experience in sharing my knowledge on topics relating to cybersecurity.”
As younger learners, many of the camp’s participants have little to no coding background. Shaw applies teaching skills that his College of Information Sciences and Technology professors employ, such as using real-world examples and presenting technical information in a non-technical way, to inspire and engage students and to help those with limited experience understand the topics. He also draws on his own experiences as a camper himself.
“I hope that I can instill the same love of technology that I developed from attending camps like this one as a child,” Shaw said. “I believe that it is important to develop the next generation of programmers and security experts as our society becomes increasingly more connected and technologically focused.
“The College of IST prepared me for this internship by giving me a solid background in coding, as well as in principles of information security," he added.
In his role, Shaw also has the opportunity to showcase Penn State as a leader in cybersecurity education.
“I’m excited to be representing Penn State at this camp, where I have coworkers from major universities across the country,” he said. “The students are always excited to hear about what it is like to study at Penn State, and I hope that I can encourage some of them to consider applying when they are deciding where to continue their education.”