2 min read People

GPC Student Seeks Tech Transfer & Startup Internship

GPC Student Seeks Tech Transfer & Startup Internship
June 18, 2012 DeKalb County: Students attended summer classes as usual at Georgia Perimeter's Clarkston campus on Monday as Georgia Perimeter College started layoffs of 282 people Monday, June 18, 2012 as part of an extensive plan to close what could be a $25 million deficit next year. The cuts affect 215 full-time employees and 67 part-time workers, according to a campus-wide email Interim President Rob Watts sent. No tenure or tenure-track professors were laid off. The college employed about 3,110 people, including 390 tenure and tenure-track faculty. Watts wrote that his first priority "was protecting classroom instruction for students." All other areas of the college were affected, including administrative support and some internal institutes will close. Meanwhile, auditors from the state and University System of Georgia are analyzing the college's books to understand how this financial mess happened. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM 585099

Omar Sherif, class of 2017, is a student at Georgia Perimeter College and he's on track to attend Georgia Tech in the fall to study Electrical Engineering. He is also interested in coding and is considering minoring in Computer Science at GT as well. Omar has a passion for startups and technology and is on the lookout for an internship where he'll be surrounded by others who share this same passion. Check out his info below, keep him in mind when looking for tech talent who thinks outside of the box, and offer him an internship (sherifom@student.gpc.edu).

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What are you currently working on outside of class?
Aside from the coding problems I undertake for my programming in Java class, I do have some side projects that I intend on pursuing once I gain my foundation in the art of programming.

What past tech/creative projects have you worked on?
I've worked on group based projects in the past. My real experience lies in the creative projects I've worked on at my family owned business. One of our more technical projects was producing digital signage at a fraction of the industry cost. I learned a great deal and advanced my marketing acumen through using multiple software programs to manipulate and enhance digital signs.

What are your best technical or creative skills?
I would say I like to think outside the box. I have an unorthodox way of finding solutions.

What’s next on your list to learn?
I would like to learn the meaning of a "startup". The true meaning, and not the one that's defined in the dictionary but defined by experience. However, programming wouldn't hurt either.

Why the interest in startups?
If I ever wanted to start my own company, I would first be labeled as a startup. So, the real question is why not a startup? How do you expect to grow a tree (full fledged company) if you can't plant the seed?

What’s your ideal internship?
My ideal internship would be at a company or startup that is community minded, but would also help me grow as an individual. I want to surround myself with people of similar passion for technology.

Post graduation plans?
My post graduation plans are actually very simple, get a job or make a job. Whichever comes first, but I must say I have a profound interest for the latter. In the long run, however, I hope that where ever I land does not feel like a job.

[Photo Credit]

Klaire Wesolowski