IT interns excel and pave the way for future tech leaders

Internships play a pivotal role in shaping careers and preparing individuals for the professional world. The Miami-Dade County Information Technology Department (ITD) is proud to have participated in an ITD Internship Showcase where 13 students worked with department leaders for six months to identify challenges and present solutions to the department. The interns worked in different divisions and were led by leaders of their craft to provide hands-on professional growth and development.

On March 1, 2024, interns Kimbriah Alfrenar, Andres Fernandez, Brandon Armstrong, Jonathan Gil, Bryan Vazques, Elizabeth Sarasti, Joel Velazquez, Sasha K. Rojas, Rodolfo Rivera, Michael Yon, Nagres Salari, Audrey Gamero and Carlos Mejia formally presented possible solutions to ITD across various divisions after weeks of hard work in their respective divisions.

Thanks to the guidance and mentorship of Business Relationship Manager Lourdes Lopez, Innovation Manager Jorge Valens, IT Manager Lou C. Broughton, IT Manager Angela De La Cruz, IT Manager Anthony Bacallao, IT Manager Lawrence Embil, IT Manager Edgardo Sanchez, IT Manager Adriana C. Sanchez, IT Manager Loira Urena, IT BRM Rene Lopez, IT Manager Guide Ferro and IT Managers Joanna Kelly and Yunior Hernandez Andrade, the ITD Internship Showcase was a success. Each intern identified key issues and presented noteworthy solutions that highlighted their collaboration, resourcefulness and dedication to their studies and learnings.

The interns' insights and hands-on work has been valuable to ITD, especially to the IT Innovation team, Office of the CIO, Citizen and Neighborhood Services Division (Enterprise Application Services), Operational Security Group (Enterprise Security), Security Architecture, Incident Response and Government Team (Enterprise Security), Security-Identity and Access Management (Enterprise Security), Geospatial Technologies Division (Business Applications Services), Regulatory and Utilities Division (Business Applications Services), Strategic Performance and Relationship Management, Administration, Customer and Strategic Management team, Server Management Division and the Remedy Team.

Internships serve as a bridge between academic learning and professional success, offering invaluable opportunities for skill development, networking, career exploration and personal growth. ITD is proud to embrace internships as an integral component of education and career development. “The Miami-Dade County Information Technology Department is proud to nurture young minds as they navigate alongside department leaders through the challenges of our digital frontier. Their assignments turned into opportunities and their ideas turned into solutions. Their professional growth stands as a testament to the power of mentorship and hands-on experience for the next generation of tech leaders,” added ITD Director and Chief Information Officer Margaret Brisbane.

This collaboration and teamwork has helped identify opportunities for the dynamic world of ITD thanks to the young and talented interns, and the exceptional leadership who helped them thrive.