Lakeita D. Servance is the education outreach manager for Georgia Tech. Servance and was present at the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Night at Georgia Tech, where students and professionals learned about platforms, data solutions, and the bank’s hiring process.
What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
My role is managing research programs at the Ph.D. level. I’m inspired by the work I do because I feel that I have a hands-on impact on students who are trying to change the world and make it into STEM. The programs that I work closely with originated in the biotechnology field but we’ve expanded over the past few years to mechanical engineering, general engineering, aerospace engineering, robotic coding, and all of the different disciplines offered here at Georgia Tech. I believe that the students who started with us in 2013, who are now grown adults, and working professionals who have their Ph.D., or [are] aspiring to attain their Ph.D., can speak to the impact of the programs that I’m a part of.
How can someone who’s not a student get involved in tech?
I would definitely say volunteering, or if they’re interested in actively participating in any of these programs, for example, the summer research programs, there’s an application open every year for that program. I would encourage anyone who’s looking to advance themselves to pay attention to the website or program and when the deadline is because we’re continuously marketing these programs and looking for new students to participate all across the country. If a person is looking to get involved from a volunteerism standpoint, I would say reach out and connect with a different division that you’re interested in making an impact on because we’re always looking for support. We really need more community support as far as exposing our students to industry partners, and showing them what the industry could do for them. If they were to pursue a degree in STEM and engineering or in any mathematical technology field, what can they do with that degree? We’re looking to see more involvement from our community partners and from different individuals who are looking to get involved so that we can help our students feel that wraparound impact of everyone wanting to cheer them on and wanting them to be successful.
