David Premkumar

Background

About David Premkumar

As a student at UMBC, I’ve gained a lot of valuable experience that has helped me build the foundations needed to be a successful developer. I’ve had the chance to work on projects with many different languages and tools, including Python, C/C++, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Haskell, Linux, Flask, VirtualBox, SQL, and many more. I’ve had the chance to work with projects as low-level as assembly programming and as high-level as user interfaces. I’ve had the opportunity to work both independently and collaboratively. Additionally, during the semesters of my sophomore and junior year, I worked as a Teaching Fellow for CMSC 201 (introductory Python). I helped students who were new to computer science understand not just Python, but the fundamentals of programming. My experience as a TF not only helped me with my presentation and teaching skills, it helped me improve my own skills as a developer. As an intern at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, I was able to take my skills and hone them in the real world. I was able to create a Flask powered web-app for simulating and analyzing shutdowns of the pipe system in the event of a water main break or any other maintenance need. I was able to host the app on premise with a Linux server and create scripts that ensured that other developers would be able to continue maintaining the app. I also had the opportunity to present the application and give demos to various stakeholders (division managers and WSSC staff on the utility side) and incorporate feedback into subsequent versions. My time as an intern was not just a boon for improving my skills as a developer, but also for increasing my confidence, resilience, and presentation skills. My experience over the past few years has given me a strong foundation to grow and learn more as a developer. On one end, I’ve learned to be open to change and new technology (a mentality that has helped me take on machine learning and artificial intelligence). On the other end, I’ve come to appreciate the wisdom that those experienced in the field have to offer when I build meaningful connections and ask lots of questions. I’ve grown into a team player while simultaneously sparing no effort in being dependable even when I’m working on my own.