Here at Octo, we value innovation and rising professionals. We’re excited that we’ve had a new group of talented interns join us this summer and that we’ve been able to highlight them in our series, Meet the Interns. In our last installment, we turned the spotlight on Calvin Nguyen, a Mechanical Engineering major at George Mason University and an admirer of Stephen Hawking. Today we introduce Caitlin Tran, a rising senior graduating in 2023 with a computer science degree from Virginia Tech.
What’s are some fun facts about you? What do you enjoy?
I used to have four pet finches. I know, that’s a little random, but they were cute. Outside of that, I enjoy vacations. My favorite vacation spot right now is Chicago. There’s lots of great restaurants there that aren’t in Northern Virginia. I also have some family in Chicago, and it’s always fun hanging out with them.
I have a lot of hobbies I enjoy doing. Some of my hobbies include learning to play songs on the guitar, ukulele, and piano, as well as drawing.
What are some of your professional interests? And what drew you to an internship at Octo?
Some of my professional interests are creative computing and AI/ML. Because of this, I was excited about the opportunity to work on an AI project as part of my internship. Also, the company puts high value on skills and career development for employees, and that really made me want to be an intern at Octo.
What do you hope to get out of this experience?
I’m hoping to learn more about AI and gain more experience with developing a solution as part of a large team in a professional setting.
What is your impression of Octo so far?
I think Octo is very welcoming and the people here really want you to succeed and help you further your career.
What are you most excited to be working on at Octo?
I’m very excited to be working on a bimodal neural search engine for the Jinsoku project.
What excites you about the future of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI)?
I think an exciting aspect of the future of ML/AI is its growing ability to save lives. For example, in the medical field, ML/AI is starting to be used as a tool to detect cancer in patients. It can already detect cancer earlier and more accurately than human doctors and it’ll only become more and more accurate in the future.
What do you want to be working on in two years? In five?
In two years, I want to be working on AI/ML solutions that positively impact people at a private company. I’m not sure what I want to be working on in five years, but I hope to be leading a project using the skills and knowledge I’ve acquired up until that point.
Would you enjoy working in a dynamic environment that provides tools and resources to help you succeed? Octo is an inclusive workplace for employees at every career stage. We’re hiring technologists and support staff with a passion to learn and empower customers to meet essential missions. Check out careers at Octo now. And stay tuned for our next installment of Meet the Interns.