Alumna Bifuh Ngongalah shares her experience with club members about what it’s like to be an intern. ColorStack, a new club at UST, focuses on assisting Black and Latino students who want to pursue careers in coding, engineering, computer science, and data science. (David Huynh/The Crest) 
Ngongalah answered questions about how students can improve their chances of securing an internship and building stronger careers. (David Huynh/The Crest)
ColorStack — a national organization focusing on connecting Black and Latino students interested in computer science with resources, peers and career developmental resources — has recently opened a branch at St. Thomas.
One of its main goals is to connect St. Thomas’ growing computer science program with more established, national ones.
“Nationally, ColorStack offers tons of opportunities like scholarships, exclusive career fairs, early access to top internship applications, curated resume books, and mentorship,” the club’s e-board wrote in an email to The Crest. “These resources are out there, and we want to make sure more students know they can take advantage of them.”
The board members wrote that they wanted to start ColorStack because of how challenging the field of computer science can be, especially for already underrepresented students. By connecting with the national organization, they hope to be able to take advantage of their previously curated resources and join a network of other Black and Latino computer scientists.
“Opportunity should not depend on background,” wrote Jason Sawin, computer science department chair and ColorStack’s adviser. “Nationally, students from historically underserved groups in tech often enter college without the same access to networks, mentors, or professional experience …Widening recruitment is not just about inclusion, it is about discovering potential. The next generation of founders, innovators and problem solvers will come from all corners, and we cannot afford to overlook that talent.”
The board members wrote that they wanted to focus on building a strong, local network of students rather than hoping that the club would grow into it. The board said it wanted students to feel connected to each other and their goals at St. Thomas so that working with other national branches would be easier.
The board’s main plan for the club is to use it to work on and gain support for its summer projects.
“Gaining relevant experience as a computer science student can be tough, especially early on,” the board wrote. “Our goal is to provide hands-on projects that students can add to their résumes and talk about in interviews, giving them a stronger foundation for internships and full-time roles.”
Its main projects for this summer are to develop a website for their ColorStack branch as well as a machine learning tool to help identify Minnesota-based local initiatives — combining members’ tech skills with community impact.
“At other universities, chapters have helped students grow their skills, land internships, and build lasting professional networks,” the board wrote. “We are working toward that same impact here, and the more driven students we have involved, the stronger our chapter will become.”
Caroline Raleigh can be reached at rale6166@stthomas.edu.
