The Road to Rivian: What I Did to Land My Dream Internship

Dreaming Big

Since I was young, I dreamed of working in the automotive or aerospace industry. This summer, I had the chance to make that dream a reality when I interned at Rivian as a Cybersecurity Analyst. Getting there wasn’t easy at all. It was the result of small steps, opportunities I said yes to, and the community I found at St. John’s. In this blog, I want to share the journey that led me to Rivian, and more importantly, the lessons I learned along the way that other students can use as they carve out their own path.

Finding My Community as a Freshman

Coming into college, I wasn’t sure if cybersecurity was the right path for me. As the eldest daughter in my family, I had to figure out a lot on my own. One of the first things I did was meet with my career advisor, who encouraged me to get involved in student organizations. That’s how I discovered the St. John’s ACM Student Chapter.

At first, I was nervous to walk into meetings alone. Cybersecurity can feel super intimidating, especially in a male-dominated field. But I kept showing up, pushed through the discomfort, and slowly started making friends. That decision changed everything. ACM became my community on campus, and it gave me the confidence to start looking for real-world experience.

I polished my resume, went to the career fair, and started applying to internships through Handshake. Even though I didn’t think I had much to offer yet, I ended up landing my first internship as an IT Intern at Maspeth Federal Savings. It was a small company, but the experience was big for me. I learned hands-on IT and cybersecurity skills, worked with my manager and coworkers, and realized how much I enjoyed making an impact. That first step gave me the foundation to grow.

Building Skills and Confidence as a Sophomore

By sophomore year, I felt more comfortable in ACM and applied to join the cyber team. I was nervous walking into that first meeting, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I made. The team gave me new friends, mentors, and opportunities to push myself technically.

That year, I also participated in my first hackathon with other ACM members. We built a project under time pressure, worked as a team, and even placed third. That project became a highlight on my resume, and interviewers often asked me about it. It showed me that practical experiences can matter just as much as coursework.

For some reason, I still felt like I wasn’t doing enough. I hit challenges when internship season came and went, and I worried I was falling behind. But then I was accepted into Google Summer of Code, where I built a machine learning model to classify web attacks. I found it difficult because I had to teach myself Python and machine learning concepts outside of class, but it grew my technical skills in ways I never imagined. That project became one of my strongest talking points in interviews and showed me that self-teaching and persistence can pay off.

Stepping Into Leadership as a Junior

By junior year, I wanted to give back to the community that had helped me so much. I ran for ACM board and served as Information Officer. In that role, I rebuilt our website, moved it to a content management system, and discovered a passion for UI design and web development.

I also stepped outside my comfort zone with public speaking. I gave a workshop on LinkedIn and resume tips, helping students navigate the same challenges I once faced. Throughout the year, I worked with the board to organize events that connected students with resources, internships, and each other. That leadership experience helped me grow not just technically, but also as a mentor and teammate.

All of this gave me the confidence to apply for Rivian. I tailored my resume to the role, studied hard for the interview, and without any referrals or connections, landed the offer.

My Internship at Rivian

Rivian’s office was in the suburbs of Detroit. That meant I had to move out. Moving out of state for the internship was scary. It was my first time living on my own, and I battled imposter syndrome when I met interns from big schools like University of Michigan, Yale, and Cornell. But Rivian’s culture was incredibly supportive. From bowling on day one to go-karting and dinners throughout the summer, the intern program made us feel welcome. One of the highlights was the final showcase, where we presented our projects science-fair style, and it was inspiring to see the impact we all made.

My project focused on third-party cybersecurity risk management. I had to work with large datasets on supplier security posture, analyze risk factors, and assign risk scores based on the findings. A big part of my role was designing dashboards and visualizations that made these insights easy for leadership to understand and act on. I loved this project because it combined technical analysis with real business impact, and it pushed me to think differently about how cybersecurity connects to decision-making. I also had an amazing mentor and manager who guided me throughout the process, and I’m very thankful for the people I met.

By the end of the summer, I realized that I did belong in this field. It didn’t matter that I came from a smaller school. It mattered that I showed up, worked hard, and built relationships that supported my growth.

Looking Ahead

Now, as I look forward to finishing my senior year and starting graduate school, I carry those lessons with me. Every year at St. John’s built on the last. Freshman year gave me courage, sophomore year gave me skills, junior year gave me leadership, and Rivian gave me perspective.

Conclusion

My road to Rivian was about small, consistent steps that added up over time. Joining clubs, saying yes to opportunities, building projects, and leaning on my community all shaped the person I am today.

If you’re a student reading this, I want you to know that you can carve your own path too. Start small, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to push past discomfort. You never know where those first steps might lead you.