New Boeing Scholars join the Innovation Campus 2022 fall class
The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus welcomed its newest class of 73 Master of Engineering students to the community this fall. Among them are 10 Boeing Scholars: Abdelaziz Abousam, Daffney Myers, Kiara Chambers, Luis Pol, Onel Cruz Ruiz, Samantha Paulus, Sarah LeNguyen, Sheila Talty, Shreya Gandhi, and Thaddeus Nongni.
The scholars are interested in artificial intelligence, data analytics, software development, and more. Some are recent college graduates, while others have progressed to positions such as software engineer or system administrator. One thing they will all soon have in common is a master's degree in engineering from Virginia Tech.
There are nearly 250 students pursuing their Master of Engineering at the Innovation Campus. Classes are temporarily taking place in Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center at Falls Church until the Innovation Campus opens its first building in the fall of 2024.
Our scholars shared with us their career aspirations, education goals, and why they decided to pursue their secondary degrees at Virginia Tech.
Meet the fall 2022 Boeing Scholars
Abdelaziz Abousam
Innovation campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer science
Current position: Full-time graduate student; former quality systems co-op intern, GE Aviation, Evendale, Ohio
Undergraduate: Virginia Tech ’22
Major: Industrial and systems engineering Minor: Computer science
"Pursuing a graduate degree in computer science will hone my skills and fulfill my dream of working for a computer science consulting company, while also providing a phenomenal networking opportunity to meet others in similar fields.”
Daffney Myers
Innovation Campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer science
Current position: Full-time graduatestudent; former softline associate, Fort Belvoir Main AAFES Exchange, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Undergraduate: University of Mary Washington ’21
Major: Cybersecurity
"I see a great opportunity at Virginia Tech to gain more hands-on experience with my professors. They will serve as one of my greatest sources of knowledge, ideas, and inspiration – and help guide me professionally and academically.”
Kiara Chambers
Innovation Campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer engineering
Current position: Full-time graduate student; former product development, research, and advanced engineeringintern, Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Michigan
Undergraduate: Norfolk State University ’22
Major: Electrical and electronic engineering Minors: Mathematics and computer science
"This graduate degree will help me pursue my interests on a deeper level, invest in my future, and make connections. I am expecting to gain confidence in my abilities, a supportive professional network, and a quality education from this program. Upon graduation I will be able to offer my company new ideas for application and give back to my community by introducing children and minority groups to this field.”
Luis Pol
Innovation Campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer science
Current position: Intern, Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, Blacksburg
Undergraduate: Virginia Tech ’22
Majors: Spanish and computer science Minors: Cybersecurity and mathematics
"We live in a time of massive information transfer and more information than we know what to do with. After completing my graduate degree at Virginia Tech, I will have developed and honed my skills in data collection, processing, and interpretation, which I then hope to use as a part of a research group or agency for the U.S. government.”
Onel Cruz Ruiz
Innovation Campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer science
Current position: System administrator, Two Six Technologies Inc., Fredericksburg
Undergraduate/associate degrees: ECPI University ’21, ’20
Major: Computer science, cybersecurity
"My professional experience as a system administrator has given me a strong foundation as I pursue my master’s at Virginia Tech. I’m looking forward to exploring different technologies and gaining confidence in my technical capabilities. Once I graduate, I know I’ll have the skills to start my own company to help businesses create and develop their own software applications.”
Samantha Paulus
Innovation Campus cegree: Master of Engineering in computer science
Current Position: Associate systems engineer, Northrop Grumman, Falls Church
Undergraduate: Virginia Tech ’22
Majors: Computational modeling and data analytics and nanoscience Minors: Computer science and mathematics
"I want to absorb as much new information as I can. My graduate studies will expose me to new ideas while helping me narrow down what specific subject area I’d like to pursue for the rest of my career. The Master of Engineering in computer science will make me a more knowledgeable worker able to use my background and honed skills to solve problems.”
Sarah LeNguyen
Innovation Campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer science
Current position: Staff software engineer manager, GitHub, remote
Undergraduate: University of Missouri-Columbia ’00
Major: Journalism
Graduate: University College London ’06
Major/degree: Master of Arts in electronic communications and publishing
"The web and the technologies that it powers continue to evolve every day. I am finding some gaps in my technical skill set that I would like to bridge with the help of Virginia Tech so that I can continue to provide value to my organization, its clients, and my team.”
Sheila Talty
Innovation Campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer science
Current position: Full-time graduate student; former pharmacy technician, Kroger, Blacksburg
Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin-Madison ’21
Major: Biology
"I hope to be the go-to person that my professional colleagues would turn to when they have an idea and want to brainstorm variables and experiments. Once I have earned my master’s, I want to be a driving force at the intersection of data analytics and biology to make ground-breaking and life-changing discoveries. I am also excited about the future of the Innovation Campus and the growth of the VT alumni network in Northern Virginia!”
Shreya Gandhi
Innovation Campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer engineering
Current Position: Associate software engineer, Infosys Limited LLC, Durham, North Carolina
Undergraduate: University of North Carolina at Charlotte ’19
Major: Computer engineering
"After several years in the workforce, I have realized my interest in a more hardware-driven career path and, specifically, electronic design and application. I believe the Master of Engineering program is a great fit for my interests as I pursue this career transition.”
Thaddeus Nongni
Innovation Campus degree: Master of Engineering in computer science
Current position: Senior DevSecOps cloud engineer, B4Corp, Leesburg
Undergraduate: University of Maryland Global Campus ’14
Major: Cybersecurity
"My cousin from the UK introduced me to AI [artificial intelligence]. I’d never heard of AI before, especially since I lived in a small town in West Africa. Our conversation piqued my interest in the computer science profession and inspired me to pursue degrees in the field. Virginia Tech is the ideal institution to undertake a graduate degree because of its national ranking and reputation and its immersion in Northern Virginia, our nation's second-largest technology hub. This degree will enable me to achieve my long-term goal of running my own AI-focused technology company.”
