Cycle Technology, Inc., Miami, FL
I worked at Cycle Technology this summer, a relatively new company started by several University of Miami undergraduate students in 2018. These students had the idea to reward people for recycling through an in-app points system. Using a technology called RVMs (reverse vending machines), they made this dream into a reality by pairing an app with the machines to incentivize recycling. After launching a pilot program in Miami last year, Cycle is currently planning to place many more RVMs into the marketplace while expanding the company with several multifaceted environmental tech solutions.
I had an incredibly rewarding experience working as a software engineer for Cycle over the past few months. After learning to code in the classroom for two years, I was proud to see my skills pass muster in the real world; and I accomplished many diverse tasks over the summer thanks to this education. One of my largest responsibilities was building a new website for the company using WordPress—a platform I was largely unfamiliar with prior to this internship. Despite my initial fears that I wouldn’t be able to figure out the platform, I was able to combine my coding knowledge with diligent research and practice to eventually master the new skill. With this tool in hand, I built a page for pitching the product to potential consumers, an interactive bottle deposit pricing map, and a fully functional blog. Additionally, I worked in Adobe Xd in order to develop a framework for the RVM managerial app. This project—like most of my work this summer—was done in close collaboration with my coworkers.
The most valuable part of this internship for me was the bonds I formed with the Cycle team. Whether it was the CEO—who frequently reached out to me directly for calls or chats and made me feel incredibly welcome—or other Williams interns, I had an extremely positive experience with every person I interacted with this summer. I feel like I developed a vital skill through my weekly department Zoom meetings and constant chatter over text and Facetime with coworkers I was collaborating with. Seeing how a tight-knit, professional team can work together has prepared me for my career after college.
Working at Cycle has given me confidence in my ability go out and be successful post-graduation. Having employed my coding skills in a real-world setting makes me a more valuable employee if I choose to continue to pursue jobs in the tech and software world. Picking up new skills on the job is a learning experience I never could have gotten in a classroom. I enjoyed my time at Cycle so much that I agreed to stay on as employee once my internship officially ended and plan on doing work for them into the future.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the ’68 Center and to Mr. McCalpin for making this incredible experience possible.
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