family business

The Google Data Center Summer Immersion Program had been on Gabrielle’s radar ever since she participated in the SPECTRA program the summer before her first year.

“Professor (Lancie) Affonso told us to have a ‘big, hairy audacious goal,’” explains the computing in the arts major. “Mine were to travel more and to get accepted into the Google Data Center Summer Immersion Program.”

Michael, a computer science major and data science minor, learned about the program through an email.

“I want to give a shout out to Rebecca Utz,” says Michael of the administrative coordinator for the Department of Computer Science. “Several of the experiences on my résumé are because of her emails about opportunities, like Google.”

The siblings, who are from Myrtle Beach, S.C., teamed up and helped each other apply to the program. At the Career Center, they participated in AI interviews to get tips on presenting themselves, got help crafting their résumés and learned how to better market themselves.

In addition, Michael and Gabrielle worked on tech projects. At DigSouth, they participated in an AI short film competition and received a free trial of OpenArt AI. Michael attended the IBM Call for Code event in Columbia, S.C., where his group won second place for the chatbot they designed on WatsonX AI to bridge the food insecurity gap. The siblings also volunteered in the Harbor Hacks Hackathon.

Their hard work paid off. They were both accepted into the competitive program.

“I loved getting immersed in different fields and learning the diverse career paths that are available,” says Michael. “Everyone, no matter their field of work, had some wisdom to pass on.”

Adds Gabrielle: “I appreciated the opportunity for career exploration. There were so many careers that I didn’t even know were associated with a data center, from safety and chemists to management and operations.”

Despite all the career paths at the data center, Gabrielle’s area of interest – user experience – was not represented. After connecting with interns at other Google locations, she managed to speak with the director of user experience design, who recommended what she should do in school and shared resources she could utilize.

Michael and Gabrielle appreciated Google’s supportive work culture, which encouraged wellness breaks, game room visits and inclusive events celebrating their employees.

“I also liked learning what it means to be ‘Googly,’” says Gabrielle. “It’s all about being personable and bringing good energy. Google wants people to bring their personality, so desks often look like a kid’s desk with all sorts of toys.”

They also appreciated how no one is off limits at Google. 

“Everyone is equal; everyone is humble,” says Michael. “You can go to the top leadership, and they will lend an ear. There’s someone for everyone at Google: There are people from many different paths and disciplines. We now have people who have offered to help us with future opportunities, because they took a similar path.”

Participating in the program helped the Manns narrow their scope of interest. Gabrielle is now exploring a career in project management, and Michael has eliminated a couple of areas from his list of career possibilities.

Meanwhile, they are ready to help CofC students who wish to participate in the Google Data Center Summer Immersion Program. 

“We learned so much in the application process, so we can lend a hand to anyone interested,” says Michael.

That’s exactly what any Google employee would do. – Darcie Goodwin