This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
In just one day, Marquis Scholar Alexander Shnayder ’10 (Wayne, N.J.) not only learned a great deal of information applicable to his studies, he also gained insight into prospective career opportunities.
Over the winter interim, Shnayder participated in an externship – a one-day, on-site education opportunity – at Siemens Corporate Research (SCR) in Princeton, N.J. His host was Daniel Paulish P’05, manager of SCR’s engineering program.
During his externship, Shnayder interacted with numerous SCR engineers, a human resources representative, and two software engineering interns from Ireland.
“I learned about the various processes that go into software engineering, and the organization of a research and development firm,” explains Shnayder.
The engineers at SCR also taught him about unified modeling language, a general-purpose computer modeling language, which has already helped him in a computer science course he is taking this semester.
“Dan was very informative about the workings of the company and very helpful in planning my summer internship and graduate research opportunities, as well as my post-undergrad career,” Shnayder says. “My experience at SCR made me aware of certain career options not just related to software engineering, but also dealing with economics, computer modeling, and organizational change.”
Paulish, father of mechanical engineering graduate Nick Paulish ’05, says he had two impressions of Shnayder during the externship.
“The first is that he asked a lot of questions, which, in my opinion, is the best way to learn,” he says. “The second is that I felt he was well-grounded, which will serve him very well going forward.”
Paulish hosts externships as a way of giving back to a college he thinks very highly of.
“With children in college, it’s sometimes difficult to provide financial support to the College,” says Paulish, who also serves as the public address announcer for the ice hockey team. “But this is a way I can provide service to Lafayette. Also, SCR is a research lab, so we hire Ph.D.s. Maybe eight years from now, the students will consider Siemens because they had a good experience here.”
Shnayder plans to conduct research and serve an internship during the summer. After graduation, he plans to pursue his M.B.A.
Chosen from among Lafayette’s most promising applicants, Marquis Scholars like Shnayder receive a special academic scholarship and distinctive educational experiences and benefits. This includes a three-week, Lafayette-funded course abroad or in the United States during January’s interim session between semesters or the summer break. Marquis Scholars also participate in mentoring programs with Lafayette faculty and cultural activities in major cities and on campus.