Kaliyah Chestang

Kaliyah Chestang is learning first-hand about being a woman in tech in her One Summer Chicago internship at the Kennedy-King College Tech Launchpad. A Kennedy-King College student working toward her Associate in Arts with a focus on psychology, Kaliyah now has a new shorter-term career goal in cybersecurity as she earns a bachelor’s degree and beyond.

"I’ve been interested in cybersecurity since middle school, but my ultimate career goal has been to be a clinical psychologist. Thanks to this internship, I’ve learned about so many job opportunities I can pursue to help me earn a good salary while I continue my academic career." — Kaliyah Chestang

Kaliyah was happy to find a summer job on campus, since all of her classes so far have been online. And with the added bonus of getting to see her teachers and other students in person, she’s also “learning about the tech community and being introduced to programs for people of color in tech.”

So while she’s building her resume with a summer internship, she is learning skills that will serve her well in any career like how to write professional emails, clear communication with colleagues, time management, and other soft skills, as well as getting networking opportunities and connecting with her KKC community and beyond.