Yonatan is a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in cybersecurity management and analytics. Before transferring to Virginia Tech, he completed his Associate of Science in information technology and business administration at NOVA. Yonatan also earned a Career Study Certificate in business information technology. Currently, he is focused on obtaining his Security+ Certification to further enhance his skills in the field of cybersecurity. When he’s not studying or working on cybersecurity projects, Yonatan enjoys outdoor activities like running and going to the gym. He is dedicated to pursuing a successful career in cybersecurity and applying his knowledge to protect organizations from emerging threats.
Eric earned his bachelor’s degree at Mongolian Science and Technology University. He also attended a software tester (SQAE) boot camp for six months where he learned Java and Software testing skills. Eric joined the Arlington Talent Pilot program because he saw it as a once in a life time opportunity. He is most excited for the mentorships and experience with real projects. Previously, Eric worked in the food service industry and the granite and marble industry. Eric is thrilled to learn more about software development and hopes to become a great tester.
Liam is a junior software engineer who went to Radford University and graduated with a degree in Computer Science. Liam is excited about participating in this program because he thinks it’ll be a great experience to work with people who are experts in the industry. He is eager to learn new skills and apply the skills he has gained throughout his career. Liam used to work in food service at a movie theater and as a cashier, but his passion lies in software development and working with computers. Liam’s dream job is to work at Google.
Jocelyn Chiavola is a rising senior at Virginia Tech majoring in computer science with a minor in human-computer interaction. At VT, she is involved with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) where she helps runprofessional, technical, and social events. Jocelyn also participates in AutoDrive on their Simulation Challenge Team. During her time at Exelaration, she hopes to broaden her technical skills and gain more hands-on experience with user-centered design. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading, video games, and playing tennis for the Virginia Tech Team Tennis League, where she is currently a captain. One day, Jocelyn aims to work on technology that improves the lives of those with disabilities, such as visual or auditory impairments.
Timothy Cui is an upcoming senior studying computer science at Virginia Tech with an interest in artificial intelligence, specifically robotics and vehicle autonomy. He chose Exelaration for its welcoming atmosphere, alongside recognizing it as a great opportunity to improve his skills in web development. At Virginia Tech, Timothy is involved in RoboGrinder Robotics and the Diggeridoos Design Team. In his free time he enjoys coding personal projects, gaming, and playing soccer.
Joshua Fay is a senior at George Mason University achieving his Bachelor of Computer Science. After his brief time as a programming tutor, he is incredibly excited to get firsthand, guided experience in the field he is studying. While not at work or on campus, Josh is normally preparing for the weekly TTRPG game he hosts. His dream job would be a management position for a software development team, where he can use the leadership skills he has learned from army ROTC to keep projects organized and support his team.
Jinay Gonzalez holds an associate degree in business administration from Northern Virginia Community College and will be graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity management and analytics in 2024. She is passionate about how systems work, doing things more efficiently, and new challenges. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her daughter and their puppy Sprinkles.
Anum Husain is a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in business information technology with a concentration in cybersecurity management and analytics. Cybersecurity is a field that captivates her deeply and this internship will enable her to delve further into its complexities and contribute towards creating a safer digital world. Anum feels privileged to be part of this vital field and will strive to make the most of the knowledge and skills she acquires during her studies and internship. Outside of work, she loves traveling. One of her favorite places that she has been is Dubai!
Brian Lee is a rising junior at Virginia Tech studying computer engineering with a focus in software systems and chip scale integration. He joined Exelaration in the summer of 2023 togain real world experience in software development. In his free time,Brianenjoys going to the gym, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and watching Formula One.
Jiewulan began learning programming from online resources and courses such as Udemy and Codecademy. He joined the Arlington Talent Program as a way to gain more experience in the field. He is thrilled to learn from team members’ knowledge and experiences. By then end of this program, Jiewulan is excited to become an experienced full stack developer.
Robin Nguyen is an undergraduate at Virginia Tech studying cybersecurity. He has partaken in many cybersecurity programs hosted by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative. With the help of Exelaration, Robin hopes to grow as a professional. In his free time, he loves playing soccer and music.
Vanessa is a well-rounded, powerhouse individual who maintains an innate appreciation for learning and self-improvement. She aims to continually challenge herself and she always strives to better improve her character, both in her personal life and professional work. Reflecting on her personal passions for education and youth mentorship, she appreciates the guiding mission and corporate culture exuded by Exelaration. Vanessa hopes to build on her talents and establish strong network connections in order to carve out her own space in the technology industry.
Daniel Setareh is a computer science student at Virginia Tech who enjoys building software for user enjoyment. At VT, he currently helps maintain the Wireless@VT Testbed (CORNET), involving management of hosts and spinning up new VM’s for student projects. He chose to join the Exelaration team because it offers him the opportunity to write code for clients to use in real world scenarios.
Joey Sourinhong is a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in cybersecurity management and analytics. He’s had various experiences in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing and plans to gain deeper knowledge in this field for his future career. He joined Exelaration for its genuine commitment to supporting students by fostering connections between individuals from diverse backgrounds and the technology industry. After Exelaration, he will be working as a cyber risk analyst at Deloitte and has ambitions to further enhance his technical proficiency and actively engage in a cloud security engineering role.
Grace Spradlin is a rising senior at Virginia Tech majoring in computer science.Grace enjoys working with others and solving problems, so she believes sheis a great fit for Exelaration.In her free time,she enjoys driving, traveling, playing video games, reading, and hanging out with her friends.Graceis still determining exactly what she would like to do after she graduates, butenjoysweb and video game development.
Nathan Sudduth is a computer science student at NC State University studying software engineering and game design. After graduation, he plans to attend grad school at NC State to further his study of computer science. Outside of work and school, Nathan is a novice game developer and a club leader for The Smash Ultimate Club at NC State, in which he runs tournaments and other events for charity with players of Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
Munira recently finished her Master’s in Applied Information Technology this fall with a perfect CGPA in her concentration “Data analytics and Intelligence methods” from George Mason University. Munira is excited to learn from industry experts and believes it will give her the opportunity to enhance her portfolio and skillset as an IT professional. She plans to explore all aspects of software development expertise and combine her knowledge of data analytics, big data, HCI, and metadata to build new products and services or work as a project manager.
Brian is a freshman studying computer science at Northern Virginia Community College. He is excited to help find creative solutions to clients’ complex problems and experience the tangible impact his work has throughout the program. In the past, Brian has taught programming & technical concepts as an after-school instructor to K–12 students at various schools in the Northern Virginia region. He also worked in customer service roles. Brian’s dream job is to work in a software engineer role for Amazon in Crystal City.
Mark is very excited about being a part of the Arlington Talent Program as well as working with his future coworkers and mentors. Being in one of the fastest growing professions, he looks forward to making his mark in this industry. Mark is a proud army veteran and an even prouder father of 4. He has worked the last 15 plus years as a barber. During that time, he has had the opportunity to interact and converse with all kinds of people in from so many different backgrounds. Mark’s dream job would be in a mentorship role for anyone who’s as excited about tech as he is.
Sandy is a Master of Computer Science student at Georgia Institute of Technology. She joined Exelaration in the fall of 2022 to sharpen her software development skills and make a positive real-world impact. She has a passion to work as a software developer and create products people will love and want to use. Outside of Exelaration, Sandy enjoys playing guitar, learning new languages, and trying new foods.
John Yucel is a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in business information technology with a focus in cybersecurity management and analytics. He gained interest in cybersecurity from his experience with building computers and is currently studying for his Security+ certification. John joined Exceleration to further his technical skills in cybersecurity and improve on his college experience.
FEATURED ALUMNI
Katheryn Rizek, Class of ’20
Katheryn studied Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. Here, she learned the importance of process improvement, which she could then apply to Agile principles when joining Exelaration. Katheryn joined Exelaration the summer after her sophomore year and stayed through graduation. She learned much about full-stack software development and Agile methodologies and got to work on projects with private companies, the federal government, and non-profits. The projects utilized technologies ranging from JavaScript, Java, Ruby, and Python. Today, Katheryn is a Senior Consultant with Excella where she is supporting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with their software for responding to consumer complaints about financial institutions.
“Exelaration opened me up to a career in software development that I never thought I could achieve. I had previously taken a computer science class in college with hundreds of other students and finished the course thinking a career in tech was not for me. Through a friend, I found the XC and quickly and passionately learned key software development principles through their supportive, hands-on teaching style.”
FEATURED ALUMNI
Dan Nguyen, Class of ’20
Dan studied Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech, a field that helped him develop both technical and soft skills in numerous areas. Even though academic obligations and campus involvements kept him busy, Dan went above and beyond in order to pursue new challenges and experiences. For the latter half of his undergraduate career, Dan joined Exelaration where he began an adventure in the world of full-stack software development and Agile methodologies. Today, Dan is a GPS Analyst at Deloitte, where he applies all of his past experiences to make lasting contributions to the firm, putting his technical and soft skills to use.
“The XC exposed me to a lot of different languages, frameworks, and technology. It helped me to become more confident in my technical abilities.”
