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Day 8 at SAS

For our last day, we came in a little early to meet with Jenni Elion. We sat down with her in her office and discussed her work as a senior test engineer. She brought us to a team meeting where they discussed their updates and any problems that she might be able to help with. She then took us to a whiteboard to diagram her job and tell us a little bit about how she got there. Then she gave us some advice, telling us to try new things. She told us about her passion for improv and I told her about the UCB book I am reading about improv right now. She ended up giving us tickets to her show and we can’t wait to see her perform! Then we met back with Mr. Sims for a final wrap up and last minute questions and advice. It was a very quick last day, but still full of information.

Scott Sim’s desk

outside of building Q (featuring the rotating statue)

Day 7 at SAS

Today at SAS we started the day back in building Q with our host Scott Sims. We met with Brad Lagle, a solutions specialist, who told us all about his work with child welfare. It was so interesting to hear about how much good he does with his coding. We then spoke with Mr. Sims a little bit more about his day to day so we could get a better feel for what he does. He then took us to tour parts of the campus Elena and I had never seen before. Then we went to lunch in building F, one of the few cafeterias we had yet to try. then we met with Ruth Baldasaro who’s an analytical consultant. She mostly told us about her family and how to balance your career with your personal life. it was very helpful advice. Then we went downstairs and met with Vrushali Sawant who works as a solutions specialist and focuses on data for good projects. It was a very fun and eventful day!

Scott Sims and I in his office!

getting ice cream in building R (photo by elena)

Brad Lagle’s desk (he went to NC State can you tell?)

Day 6 at SAS

Today Elena and I headed into building Q (the second newest building on the SAS campus) to meet our new host. This week our host is Scott Sims, a manager in the consulting department. We spent the first hour talking and getting to know each other and what our interests are so that we could make the most of the week. We then met with a project manager who presented a powerpoint on what her job entails, and what kinds of things you have to do in order to be a productive member on her team. We then had lunch with Mr. Sims and his two co-workers. We discussed exchange programs and foreign countries over our gourmet SAS meals. Elena and I then headed to meet with a director in the consulting department who told us about what her job is like, as well as the adversities of being a woman in the workplace. She told us that out of all the places she’s worked, SAS has been the most progressive when it comes to female empowerment in STEM. We then closed out the day by meeting with a member of Mr. Sims’s team who works on Data For Good projects. He told us about the current software he is helping develop that assists in child welfare cases. All in all it was a very interesting and jam-packed!

notes from our meeting with the director in the consulting department

one slide from the consulting 101 powerpoint, presented by the project manager

SAS day 5

We started the day in building C as we all met together to discuss the video project we began last week. We all split up into our groups and continued filming on sites all over the SAS campus. My group came up with the idea to do a dance challenge as a call to action to raise awareness about the water crisis. We introduced some facts about the issue and asked people to give us more information. if they could not do so, they had to perform a dance move on camera. We had so much fun filming these clips all days and really enjoyed the creative input we were each allowed to include in our video. We had Papa John’s Pizza for lunch so that we could continue working through the lunch hour. We finalized our video as the day closed and we can’t wait to present it on Thursday.

our group filming outside

working lunch (pizza party)

blog post day 5 ryan dancing

Ryan’s dance challenge for our video project

SAS day 4

We began the day in building R today. We met with the larger group of Cary Academy kids that were all at SAS for a morning meeting. We discussed the importance of usability, meaning how easily customers can use SAS products. We then got into small groups and tested one of SAS’s new websites. After lunch, we had another meeting so that the team could present a new video project. We split up into new groups and ideated for a video that was supposed to include a captivating narrative in order to raise awareness for the water crisis.

Building R atrium (cafeteria)

My lunch today

My group for the video project in a conference room

day 3 at SAS

We started the day with a 10AM meeting in a conference room across the hall. It was a mock panel meeting with 3 interns who were chosen to work at SAS for that summer. They gave us advice on college, internships, and choosing a major. We then went to building C to grab lunch from the dining hall and head to a different conference room for a book club meeting. The book club is run by a few wonderful women at SAS who love to read and discuss what the book was about. We talked about the book The Only Woman in the Room. It was so cool to hear how passionate these women were about reading and the stories they choose to discuss. I was even able to offer my own book suggestion for future meetings. They asked us about what we’ve been reading lately and I told them about all the books I read about SNL while I was in New York. One woman told me that her close friend at SAS is best friends with a writer at SNL. She gave me his contact and I can’t wait to reach out to him and learn more about what he does! We then went over to building A and got insight on the marketing side of SAS.

conference room in Building A

Poke Bowl from the Building C cafe

Pauline Ashcraft (host for this week) and I in Building A before leaving for the day

an Amethyst from Dr. Goodnight’s extensive rock collection

Day 2 at SAS

Today Elena and I came in bright and eyed and bushy tailed ready to start the day. I was excited to learn more about RSQ and the different departments that all need to work together to make it run. We spent the first 30 minutes in a meeting with a consulting architect that specialized in the RSQ department. He told us all about how different types of consultants have different responsibilities and through that, we learned exactly what his job does. We learned that being a consultant for a software company is very different from marketing consulting or strategy consulting. We then spent the next hour or so in a team meeting with our host, Pauline Ashcraft. We got to meet her team and learn about what each of them does to pull their own weight. After lunch, we met with Rani, a coworker of Pauline’s that works right down the hall. She gave us insight into her career path and how she assembled her resume to get to where she is today. Our conversation quickly digressed as we discussed colleges and majors, all helpful nonetheless.

notes taken by me during team meeting

whiteboard explanation during meeting with architect consultant

First Day at SAS

Today was my first day at SAS. I arrived with a group of 10 other CA students in the Global Education Center building on the SAS campus. We got a quick tour through the new building and even learned a fun fact. Building A on the SAS campus is the tallest building in Cary. The fire department didn’t have a ladder tall enough to reach the new nine-story building so Mr. Goodnight graciously bought the department a new truck with a ladder that could reach the top of the building. After learning a little bit about the building, we were taken to a room for an orientation on SAS. We spent the first half of the day watching videos and slide shows that informed us all about how SAS functions. It informed us of the basics and began to delve into some of the complexities of the company. I spent the second half of the day with Elena Huang as we began shadowing our host, Pauline Ashcraft. We met her coworkers and some members of her team and we got a quick introduction to the RSQ department. We can’t wait to keep learning about it!

Me outside of Building A just before starting my day at SAS