Servco’s annual Summer Internship Program began on June 14, bringing together a cohort of interns spread throughout the Digital Strategy, Marketing, Human Resources and Technology Information Systems departments. Out of the 1,566 applicants this year, 16 were chosen. We are also welcoming two high school interns to participate in the program for the first time this year. For eight weeks, interns will work alongside full-time team members in their respective departments and attend various training and educational sessions, culminating in a final presentation for their managers and the Servco Executive Team. Here is our 2021 Intern Class:
Digital Strategy
Iden Watanabe is passionate about technology and hopes to give back to Hawaii’s community through a career in Data Science and Machine Learning. This summer he is looking forward to working with Servco’s growing technology department and learning from his mentors. When he is not behind a computer, Iden can be found hiking and visiting national parks.
Jarin Simon will be gaining insight into the day-to-day life of a Software Engineer this summer. He is fascinated by the future of technology because of its rapid development and is excited by the unpredictability and extensive opportunities presented in the field. Jarin is most interested in software development or cyber security and wants to work somewhere he can do meaningful and worthwhile work that makes him excited to come into work every day. Jarin enjoys playing soccer and volleyball in his free time.
Karli Young uses her passion for problem solving and creative thinking to inspire her work in computer science and design. At Servco, she gets to work with developers and product owners on product design projects that directly impact Servco customers, giving her practice with human-centered design. Karli hopes to achieve a diverse career, ultimately landing in a product management position with a tech company in a community-facing industry. When she is not at work, Karli enjoys travelling, digital and film photography, volleyball, tennis, and taking care of her plants.
After completing her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Katerina Walter began seeking out new and engaging opportunities within the field, including her current internship role. From the design stage to the finished product, Katerina has always enjoyed building things from scratch. She found that programming has all the key elements she enjoys and hopes to explore more niche experiences within Computer Science.
As the Digital Platforms Intern, Lauren Higa is interested in exploring the intersections between design and technology, which she hopes to pursue with a career in User Interface/User Experience Design or front-end web development. This summer, she hopes to learn about and work on Servco’s progressive digital customer experience initiatives. In her free time, Lauren enjoys utilizing her skills to create video games.
Ryuya Sekido finds the complexities in the field of finance fascinating and is interested in the ways it revolves around the human view of value. This summer Ryuya is looking forward to learning the fundamentals of a great company. When he is not working, Ryuya enjoys soccer, photography, surfing and watching sunsets. He hopes to combine his passions in his future career either as the creator of a business targeted at helping the environment, a World Surf League tour manager, or a soccer agent.
Serena Rice brings a new perspective to her internship position as she combines her passion for math with her work in data. Serena was drawn to math because as she says, it is the frontier of discovery and helps to explain everything around us. She is pursuing a career where she can work with data as well as contribute to the community. At Servco, Serena gets a first-hand look at how data impacts a company. In her free time, Serena enjoys playing the cello.
Ever since she was young, Taylor Gabatino, has been fascinated with magic and brought it to life with her college education. Within her field, Taylor enjoys using her imagination and creativity to solve problems. She utilizes her knowledge at the intersection of the two fields to work towards socioeconomic change and is inspired by the endless possibilities. Taylor hopes to have a career in the Software Engineering field, specifically within Artificial Intelligence. Outside of work, Taylor plays five instruments and can learn to play songs by ear.
Recent Waipahu High School graduate, Xhavier Teocson, plans to major in Computer Science and pursue his interest in computer programming. This summer, Xhavier will be learning about the different ways in which Servco develops its websites through programs and coding languages. He hopes to create something of his own and teach others about programming.
Marketing
Devan Iyomasa incorporates her public relations and journalism knowledge to her projects on the Marketing team, including corporate communications and employee engagement. Devan chose her fields of study because she is always learning something new and working with interesting people. Passionate about writing and sharing stories, Devan enjoys getting to learn how to approach her work from a marketing perspective. She hopes to pursue a career with a company that makes a positive impact on the community in the field of public relations or communications.
With a passion for media and content creation, Hamilton Keola aspires to find a career in storytelling through the content channels of social media, photography, and video. He hopes to have the opportunity to travel frequently in his future career. With his newfound free time due to COVID-19, he has picked up surfing as a new hobby. Hamilton says he enjoys Servco’s friendly and helpful company culture and looks forward to getting to know everyone on the team as well working with his fellow interns.
Lauren Carson is excited to learn and grow in the business field while gaining diverse experiences in different sectors of marketing. She is passionate about incorporating her interest in real estate with her passion for marketing in her future career. She is looking forward to learning from her mentors and fellow interns this summer.
Michaela Sy is looking forward to exploring the versatility of fields marketing has to offer, including brand awareness, audience research and content creation. She has always wanted to work for a modern and innovative company in the Marketing field while learning and collaborating with others and is excited to see where her career takes her. Michaela is prepared to learn about how a Marketing team functions at a high level and experience a professional environment first-hand.
Technology Information Systems
Brandon Nishimura will be focusing on Oracle software tools and how they work with other business platforms at Servco. His future goal is to become a Management Information Systems Consultant specializing in Oracle software and gain a strong understanding of both technical and functional work to serve as a communication channel between the two fields. In his free time, Brandon can be found writing fictional stories or playing the piano.
Human Resources
As a prospective international relations major, Kamalani Aipa hopes to have a career where she is constantly learning about other countries and staying up to date on global issues. This summer, Kamalani is looking forward to developing her soft skills such as listening, public speaking and problem-solving in a professional environment.
Taylor Tamashiro is learning how people interact with each other and technology, both of which are areas of interest for her. Going to school in Silicon Valley has inspired her to continue her passion for research in the tech industry through User Experience research or people analytics. This summer she will be focusing on team member interactions with digital systems and how the systems can enhance day-to-day work life. She is excited to explore different sectors of the Human Resources department and build connections with her fellow interns.