Carolyn De Jesus started working with Innovation and Technology in the summer of 2016 as a high school intern. Carolyn had been doing an internship with the Boston Industry Council when she completed a shadow day at City Hall. During that shadow day, she fell in love with our department and its people, and she was hooked.

During her time with Innovation and Technology, Carolyn worked with our Broadband and Digital Equity team. One of her first projects was working with the Boston Planning and Development Agency to assess how Boston residents access the internet. Carolyn looked into:

• how many people had internet access in their homes
• which internet providers residents used, and
• what kind of devices were most prevalent.

She also looked into the other places residents accessed the internet. Her work helped give the Planning and Development Agency a good idea of how residents are engaging with technology.

Carolyn also worked with agencies like Boston Public Schools and Tech Goes Home to learn about what classes they offer to the public. By finding out a list of classes, she could then pass the information on to those looking to learn.

After a year of working with us, Carolyn is heading to her next adventure with Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is a summer program dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology. Carolyn dreams of one day becoming a chemical engineer or computer scientist.

As Carolyn reflected on her time with the City, she said she loved the sense of community she experienced.

“Everyone here is very passionate, and it makes me feel proud,” she said.

Carolyn moved from the Dominican Republic to the Boston area two years ago. She’s just wrapped up her sophomore year in high school and will be starting her junior year in the fall.