Blog Posts by Laura Phillips

Laura Phillips
  • 3 Things We Created and Learned in Summer 2020

    August 19, 2020

    After 15 weeks of coding and creating, blogging and bug-fixing, we’ve finally come to the end of the summer. Looking back at our successes, we’re struck by not only the concrete things we’ve accomplished but also the lessons we’ve learned. Through our work this summer, we’ve come to see the importance of knowing who our work is for, sharing our stories, and having a team mindset. In short, we do our best when we’re focused on helping others.

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  • The Work of Authentic Inclusion: Reflections from Our Director

    August 11, 2020
    As we reflect on what we’ve learned and accomplished this summer, we asked our director, Zak, to share his thoughts on leading a team through this tumultuous time. In “both technical and thematic challenges,” in both coding and conversations, Zak sees himself as the facilitator rather than the focus, staying out of the spotlight and empowering others to take center stage.
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  • Sharing Inspiration: Meeting UCSB’s IT Interns

    August 5, 2020
    Here at the CATLab, one of our deep-rooted goals is to join and facilitate conversations on the intersection between technological innovation and higher education. Not only can we be inspired by others’ ideas and successes; sometimes we can, in turn, inspire others. Last week, we got to see the direct result of this inspiration as we met the students part of UCSB’s new set of IT internships—a new program modeled after our work at the CATLab.
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  • Moving Forward in the Midst of Uncertainty

    July 29, 2020

    As we near the end of the summer and as schools and cities weigh the pros and cons of reopening in the fall, we’re coming to realize that one of the hardest things about this pandemic is not the travel restrictions or the social distancing but the ongoing uncertainty in which we find ourselves. Even as we cope with unprecedented challenges, we realize that even our best-laid plans might have to change in a moment. So what do you do when you feel like the whole world is unsettled?

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  • How to Get Hired in Tech

    July 23, 2020

    How do you prepare yourself to enter an industry that’s constantly evolving? Although job titles and programming syntax might change, there are still several steps you can take to become a compelling candidate and ace your application when looking for a job in tech.

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  • What to Look For in an Internship

    July 15, 2020

    The benefits of an internship are multifaceted—not just a line on your resume! Among other advantages they provide, internships give you the opportunity to test-drive a career, build a network, and prove your skill to a company. We’ve already shared that 65% employers want students with more than one internship; but how do you tell what makes an internship valuable?

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