_Program:
Computer engineering

_{Current employer:}
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

_Program:
Computer engineering

_{Current employer:}
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

“And then having said that, I did learn how to do a good job in asking questions and asking for help when I needed it, and not just trying to struggle on my own.”

The lessons this student has learnt will follow her for the rest of her life, helping her grow and develop. She adds that the co-op experience even helped improve her university work. With the enlightening insight of the wonders of web design, Aryal’s passion blossomed. Today, she makes use of her abilities while working at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories.

U of I launched its Co-op Program in 2018 in the College of Engineering and has since expanded it to other students. For computer engineering graduate Preyusha Aryal, this co-op option proved to be a boon. “I did my co-op with Verint Systems based in Spokane Valley,” she says. “I decided to do a co-op because prior to this, I did not have any internship. So it was very important to me just to gain this professional experience to be compatible enough in the market and to make sure I was interested in the computer science or electrical engineering aspect of computer engineering.”

Aryal found not just interest but a deep passion for her major through this experience. Her time at Verint Systems — a global provider of security and intelligence data mining software — provided her with integral hard skills, including frameworks like Angular and Django. This hands-on learning allowed her to expand her technical know-how and develop her communication skills.