Student Success Stories
Sagar Patel
Sagar was an intern in Driving Forward’s Winter 2022 Flagship Program and subsequently interned in the summer of 2022 as a cybersecurity intern with Trexin Consulting.
“Through my internship at Driving Forward, I was placed as a Cybersecurity intern at Trexin. During my time at both organizations, I gained a wealth of knowledge about the professional world and developed valuable connections with my colleagues.
The internship provided me with a deeper understanding of the inner workings of a business and helped me to identify areas of interest within the technology sector. Thanks to the excellent mentorship and guidance I received during my time at Driving Forward, I now feel more prepared to pursue a career after graduating from college. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity and the valuable lessons I learned during my internship.”
Sophomore at the University of Illinois Chicago
Computer Science, May 2025
Student PHP Developer at UIC, Present
Elaine Li
Elaine was an intern in Driving Forward’s 2020 Flagship Program as well as an intern at Trexin Consulting directly after.
“At my internship with Trexin, I assisted in the implementation of a new procurement platform for a large healthcare provider. I feel very fortunate in having the opportunity to intern at Trexin because not only was I able to implement things I learned in my classes and Driving Forward in the real world, but I gained a lot as well, such as project planning, data analysis, effective communication, and much more. My experience at Trexin has really helped propel my career and I use what I learned almost every day.”
Cornell University
Applied Economics & Management, Dec 2021
Mohammed Shah
Mohammed Shah was an intern in Driving Forward’s Winter 2022 Flagship Program and was a consulting intern at Trexin Consulting the following summer.
"My internship at Driving Forward had a profound impact on my professional career, providing me with a strong foundation for building essential skills and furthering my growth in the professional field. Through this experience, I was able to secure an internship at Trexin, which allowed me to gain real-world exposure to the working world and continue honing the skills that I had developed at Driving Forward.
During my internship, I learned a great deal and established meaningful connections that continue to benefit me on my ongoing professional journey. Overall, I am deeply grateful for the invaluable skills and opportunities that I gained during my time as an intern at Driving Forward."
Junior at the University of Illinois Chicago
Civil Engineering, May 2025