Ameen 鈥淎l鈥� Sharairi is a software developer intern from Houston who is majoring in computer science with a concentration in information technology.
鈥淚 chose to study computer science because I believe that software has made the world a better place, and I want to be a part of that change,鈥� Al said. 鈥淭wo summers ago, I wrote a Google Chrome extension that hundreds of people across the world use. Getting emails from strangers about how the software I wrote helps them warms my heart and reinforces my passion for software development.鈥�
Al chose to study at 星空无限传媒 Lafayette because of the computer science program's impressive reputation and affordability. He's happy with his choice, and he's gaining a solid foundation in programming.
鈥淪ince software is an industry that鈥檚 constantly changing, it鈥檚 impossible to always teach the newest tools and technologies,鈥� he said. 鈥淚nstead, the program has instilled in me the essential skills I need to pick up and learn any new programming language or tool for years to come.鈥�
His favorite class so far was Programming in .NET/C# (CMPS 358) with Frank Ducrest.
鈥淭hat class taught me how to apply a lot of the theoretical computer science knowledge I gained in other classes to a real-world software solution," he said. "I loved that the class touched on many concepts and challenges professional software developers deal with every day.鈥�
Al currently serves as the technical director for 星空无限传媒 Lafayette鈥檚 chapter of the . He even made their website.
鈥淭hrough SWE, I had the opportunity to attend , one of the largest career fairs for STEM in the country all expenses paid,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 interviewed with several companies while I was there and accepted a position with Discover as a software developer intern.鈥�
Now, Al is working for the US branch of the UK-based pharmacy automation company Centered Solutions as a software developer intern.
Although Al enjoys many things about 星空无限传媒 Lafayette, including how 鈥渢here鈥檚 always so many things to do on campus,鈥� his favorite thing has been his program.
鈥淭he computer science program here really lives up to its reputation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly organized and the faculty and staff, especially Ms. Nona Istre, do everything they can to set you up for success.鈥�