Making the Most of It

Hibah Agha always loved working with computers and was inspired by others who wrote their own code. She first tried her hand at coding as a high school student. “I genuinely enjoyed running the programs I created,” she says.

As a computer science student at New York Tech, she is part of a team of student employees in the Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) to build unique technology prototypes based on existing NASA patents. Her role in the project is as a Python and Java developer. (Read more about New York Tech’s partnership with NASA.)

However, this isn’t the only project with which Agha is involved. “I am currently working on a way for New York Tech’s robot, E.R.R.S.E.L.A. [ETIC Research Robot for Student Engagement and Learning Activities] to connect to the Internet with a Bing web search API [Application Programming Interface] key,” she says. How it works is a user asks E.R.R.S.E.L.A. a question. The robot then retrieves information from the Internet using the API key and then gives the user the answer.

One project Agha is particularly proud of is a feature she created for E.R.R.E.L.A.S.’s web page. “It is a folder consisting of Java programs/classes for E.R.R.S.E.L.A to perform. The purpose of this project is to allow E.R.R.S.E.L.A. to demonstrate basic Java functions such as variables, conditional statements, loops, retrieving information from the user, using a menu, and simple data structure methods,” she explains.

Agha has been working with Michael Nizich, Ph.D., director of the ETIC, for the projects involving E.R.R.S.E.L.A. and says the first-hand experience she is getting will give her the edge she needs to land her dream job as a software engineer with Google.

“New York Tech is preparing me for the future by giving me this incredible opportunity to intern under Dr. Nizich at the ETIC, the classes I’m taking to help prepare me for everything I need to know for my field, and the teachers who are always ready to help in any way they can,” she says.

While New York Tech is preparing her for the future, Agha, who can be found baking her favorite desserts when not in the classroom, is taking advantage of everything the university has to offer. She has this advice for incoming students: “Take any chances and opportunities offered; no one can be too picky. Prestigious jobs want to hear about experiences potential employees had, and the best way someone can do that is to take advantage of opportunities.”