Amelia “AJ” Parmidge isn’t just graduating with the standard Bachelor’s degree in May; instead, she will be receiving a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Computer Science. To top it off, she has a full time position as a software engineer at the huge tech mogul Google waiting for her after she has her degrees in hand.
Like most recent graduates, Parmidge is unsure of where her career will take her, only that she plans to stick with Google for now.
“I’ll be anywhere Google needs me to be!” Parmidge said in an email. “To be honest, anywhere Google is is a tech hub.”
Parmidge has had two summer internships at Google during her undergraduate career that have led up to her securing a full-time position. Parmidge described interning with Google as an “incredible” experience.
“Working in [the] industry is a very different experience from taking classes,” Parmidge said in an email. “In the beginning of my internships, I sure found it odd not to have homework when I left for the night! I would say that I learned at least as much during my internships as I have from any of my classes.”
When asked what she will miss most about Mills, Parmidge’s response was the kindred spirits she has found in staff and professors as well as students, who Parmidge said “challenge each other to be the best they can be without destructive competition.”
“Historically, I’ve always rolled my eyes when someone said, ‘You’re going to make lifelong friends here,’ but my experience at Mills has shown me that such a thing is actually possible,” Parmidge said.
Parmidge wasn’t always set on venturing into the field of computer science; when she first arrived at Mills, she was positive that she was going to work towards being a biochemist. However, she said that when she took her first computer science course, she realized that changing her academic path was an option.
In light of that change, Parmidge’s advice for prospective students is simple: “don’t pigeonhole yourself.”
“That’s what’s so incredible about Mills; there are so many opportunities to cross disciplinary boundaries,” Parmidge said. “I am so incredibly grateful that I got the chance. If I had gone somewhere else, I am not sure that I would be who and where I am today.
For more graduation-related posts, check out The Campanil‘s designated 2014 Commencement webpage here or click on the “Commencement” link in the upper right hand corner of the header.
