When your sights are set on a technology career, there’s nothing like a hands-on internship to level up your portfolio of experience. Thanks to the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP), college student Liam Borchers already has two such internships under his belt.
Liam learned about the WRP from a college counselor at the University of Miami. After submitting his application and resume to the WRP database, he was contacted directly by the Army Corps of Engineers, which hired him as an engineering intern in the summer of 2021. Based in South Korea, he rotated across different engineering departments in the Far East District. Some of his duties entailed performing quality assurance on calculations, conducting assessments and supporting construction projects in various Army outposts and airfields.
The following summer, Liam secured another WRP internship—this time with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service. There, he worked on robotics process automation projects related to quick service restaurant procurement, distribution and specialty seasonal items.
Today, Liam is a computer science student at Miami Dade College pursuing an Associate in Arts degree. He plans to transfer to the University of Florida to earn a Bachelor of Science in computer science and credits his WRP internships with giving him a distinct advantage.
“Prior to my internships, my experiences in computer science and engineering were in a classroom and all theory,” he says. “My summer roles offered hands-on work with tools and programs where I could contribute and see the impact of my work. They helped me refine which areas of tech really interested me.” Mostly, however, Liam liked his fellow colleagues. “They were genuinely interested in my growth and ensuring that I felt included,” he says.
Liam is the grandson of Cuban refugees, and he says he is grateful for the opportunities offered to him and his family in the U.S. In addition to his cultural background and experiences, he considers his disability an important part of his identity. “While my disability has presented tough challenges, especially in terms of social interaction, it has also been a gift that has shaped my perspective and empowered me to think outside of the box and provide diverse approaches to problem-solving,” he says.
Liam has a particular interest in artificial intelligence and software development and hopes to gain experience in these areas as he progresses in his career. He believes both of his WRP internships were critical in setting him on this path.
“The WRP provides access and opportunity, which are often closed to—or at least very difficult for—people with disabilities,” he says. “My internships have allowed me to not only grow but to contribute. I gained skills and confidence that translated to my academic and career experiences.”