Internships & iii: 2025 Student Summer Internship Recap

Explore internship stories from students in the MIIPS and MSSM programs from a variety of industries.

Classes were not in session over the summer at the Integrated Innovation Institute, but make no mistake, students were busy with their internships all over the world.

From Amazon and Westinghouse Electric Company to Muro AI and Noi Creative, iii students represented Carnegie Mellon University across a variety of industries and fields at their summer internships. Interns also worked at companies like Microsoft, 7-Eleven, Theta Health, and Reclamation Factory; they brought their innovative and diversified skills from their classes and tackled the real-world applications of their education. 

Students in the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services (MIIPS) and Master of Science in Software Management (MSSM)  programs were given the opportunity to solve design, business, and engineering problems and create tangible solutions. Companies trusted the expertise they learned in their respective iii programs, and gave them freedom to share their ideas in a real-world environment.

Diversity of Work

 Students experienced firsthand how corporate and professional environments require adaptability and how every day can present a new challenge. They were pleasantly surprised by the diversity of the work they were assigned in their internships. Some found that the professional and technical applications of their education led to more varied workdays than they previously thought a company could provide.

Jessica Chen (MIIPS ‘25) was one of the students who was impressed by the range of assignments she was tasked with at her Industrial Design internship with Noi Creative.

"I was surprised by the diversity of work a designer can be involved in. From industrial and graphic design to communication with manufacturers, exploring local business partnerships, and collaborating with other design consultancies."

Jessica was able to implement her MIIPS education by combining her design sensibilities with her newfound understanding of and emphasis on business practices. She questioned a manufacturer's pricing and successfully negotiated a price decrease, attributing this accomplishment to being “a designer with a business mindset.”

Mustafa Saifee (MSSM ’25), who interned at Microsoft this summer as a Product Manager Intern, attributed his education at the Integrated Innovation Institute (iii) to shaping his positive experience. There, he applied skills from the classroom, such as user research, product strategy, prioritization frameworks, and stakeholder alignment. During his internship, Mustafa worked on the Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat product, an AI-based tool that underwent frequent updates and iterations. He quickly learned that this segment of the industry required the ability to pivot, rework, and approach every problem with a unique solution.

Established companies are not the only ones that gave their interns a wealth of experience during their summer experiences; startups also proved to be spaces that tasked students with an array of assignments. 

Julia Ang (MIIPS ‘25) learned this during her time as a Product Manager Intern with Muro AI, an early-stage startup, as every day presented something new. Being on the business side of operations, her internship involved improving client relations with weekly feedback sessions and assisting the company in growing its clientele. Julia also shared that the fast-paced territory that comes with a start-up was a factor that contributed to the diversity of work she completed, and she found that she enjoyed working at this pace more than her previous roles.

Being able to complete tasks that range from different disciplines is a skill that iii students are especially proficient at, due to the nature of their integrated and collaborative courses. Their internships taught them that jobs and careers at organizations of any size and scale will potentially require them to use a multitude of skills.  

Responsibility & Freedom

Internships at high-profile and successful companies are incredible opportunities for students, providing them with the foundation to apply their education in the workforce. These companies expect a level of competency and independence from interns, which students found to be beneficial.

Raymond Jude Jacob (MIIPS ‘25) was surprised by how much responsibility Amazon gave him during his time working on projects for their Dash Cart product. He remarked that it “was exciting to see my designs actually influence the customer experience. Being part of a future tech innovation space and working on a live product made every decision feel meaningful.” 

Not only was Raymond given the chance to work on real projects, but he also led an initiative to make the product more accessible and functional for users with low vision. The opportunity to use his knowledge to benefit the quality of experience for users was rewarding for Raymond, and the insight he gained from spearheading a project will be useful for the rest of his career. 

A common theme amongst our students was the level of responsibility they were entrusted with, and Manasi Mehta’s experience (MIIPS ‘25) was no exception. She was a Product Management Intern at Reclamation Factory and was surprised by the level of ownership she had over her work at the company. She expected to assist the organization with its ongoing operations, but she was also able to contribute ideas, make decisions, and coordinate initiatives. Manasi was a valuable member of the team at Reclamation Factory, and her work there expanded beyond the constraints of an internship.

“I left knowing that my contributions weren’t just academic exercises...they were integrated into real workflows and made a difference”

In another case, Theta Health trusted Olivia Xiao (MSSM ‘25), to give her honest opinion on decisions the team made, and helped to ensure that the product was as effective and useful as possible to their target clients in the healthcare industry. As a Product Intern, Olivia observed that she “didn’t just observe from the sidelines, I helped drive clarity in the workflows, organized and synthesized feedback from power user interviews, and helped build the platform for how we interact with both patients and physicians.”

The level of involvement Olivia experienced during her time at Theta Health grew her technical skills, but also allowed her to become emotionally invested in the product, giving her clarity on where she wants to take her career after graduation.

Learning From Professionals

Interaction with professionals is a vital aspect of internships, as it gives interns personal connections and a way for students to envision themselves as future employees of a company. Additionally, outside of pure career-building knowledge, being able to work and exist within an organization is invaluable for students who aspire to enter the workforce of that particular industry, as they can observe the culture and professionalism that is expected of them.

Lisa Wang (MSSM ‘25) discovered during her time at 7-Eleven as a Product Manager Intern that the environment was not what she had anticipated. She did not spend all her time at the corporate headquarters and instead was based in the R&D building, which had a more relaxed atmosphere.  A preconceived notion she had about tech spaces was also disproven– the R&D and HQ teams were encouraged to collaborate during monthly meetings, and in comparison to other companies, this spirit of collaboration was astonishing. 

Lisa found that her manager was an excellent mentor to her during her time at the company, as they gave her opportunities to move beyond her role. Her manager took her on store visits, gave her the chance to shadow 7-Eleven associates, and let her talk with users of the products that her team was responsible for. From supporting Lisa on her projects to recommending her to be hired by the company, her manager fulfilled her role as a guide, and gave her the wisdom as a professional to accomplish her career goals.

Professionals were also able to inspire interns and affirm that success within their desired fields is not only attainable, but entirely possible. Vera Li (MIIPS ‘25) was one of these students who was inspired by the professionals she worked with on her team at Microsoft as an AI Product Manager. 

Vera was the only intern on the team, which had multiple female leaders that she learned from and looked up to during her internship. She spent time with these successful women in the same field as her, and was able to communicate with them about their day to day workflows, and their career paths, which was an invaluable experience according to Vera.

“For the Word team, I was the only intern, and all the leaders were women. Listening to female leaders share their strategies and ideas was the most inspiring part of my internship.”

Conclusion

Internships are opportunities for students to further their professional experience while continuing to learn about the intricacies of their industries. By having the opportunity to work under the supervision of supportive professionals, iii interns completed a multitude of tasks and worked on projects that fall under their expertise.

They were trusted to complete a diverse range of duties and given a level of responsibility and freedom that allowed them to flourish and learn. Equipped with skills and experience from the classroom, they showed up to these roles with passion, competency and a desire to improve processes, solutions, and the world around them.