What a Winternship at Haven Life is really like

You know what winter is. You know what an internship is. So chances are, you have a pretty good guess as to what a Winternship is.

Well, you’re half right.

Yes, a Winternship is an internship that takes place in winter. But what makes a Winternship special — what makes it earn that capital “W” — is that it’s part of a program from Break Through Tech, an organization that helps people from underrepresented groups, including women and first-generation college students, get a foothold in tech. It turns out that while 58% of all college degrees are awarded to women, less than 2% of those women study computer science and related disciplines. Programs like this one help correct that imbalance.

Haven Life is proud to have partnered with Break Through Tech for a third consecutive winter, bringing the same commitment to mentorship and fellowship that we brought to non-pandemic-era Winterns. That’s not a coincidence — this winter, our interns’ mentor was Zack Shinkar, underwriting dev, and a former intern himself. With his guidance, the team created a new platform intended to help us pre-onboard employees before they start, which we hope to put into use in the near future.

But don’t take our word for it. Before this season’s interns returned to CUNY, we solicited their candid feedback in a series of exit interviews. Their thoughts were helpful to us in terms of how to make this program the best it can be — it turns out, even superstar interns appreciate talking about imposter syndrome — and we thought they would be helpful for anyone considering a tech internship in general or insurtech specifically. Or anyone who just wants to find out why one intern says Haven Life is like a fruitcake. (Interested in having a similar experience? Of course you are. Learn more about future opportunities, including upcoming internships, right here.)

Cherry He

What was your favorite part of the internship?

I liked the session we had on imposter syndrome. This was the first time I’ve heard about the term, but it’s something I felt before. No one has ever talked about that with me.

What do you think about the general guidance we’ve given, aside from your specific work?

I really liked having a buddy — we talked about more than just our project. She gave me advice on classes I should be taking in school and how I can get into her position one day. She helped me consider what I want to be in the future, and also showed me that I have a lot of options ahead, like grad school.

Also, I used to not like working in groups — the results in school projects have not been the best. My experience as a developer here has been different. It showed me that working in groups can be good, and it’s really necessary to work this way to work as a developer. This experience has changed my perspective on how a software developer works.

What’s been your favorite Haven Life value?

We Matter to Each Other. Throughout my time at Haven Life, I felt that value very closely in our team. The work and effort that we put in matters to the company. How we treat each other matters. I see the company interact with each employee with respect. Everyone matters here.

Nicole Juarez

What was your favorite part of the internship?

Definitely working on our project! I also really enjoyed the lunch-and-learns, specifically the ones on imposter syndrome and being a woman in tech. I thought these were helpful in preparing us for the realities of starting careers in technology.

What are one or two words you would use to describe Haven Life?

Fun and comforting. You get to be yourself around most individuals here.

What was your favorite Haven Life value?

We matter to each other. A lot of organizations overlook their employees, but at Haven Life I could see that everything is a team effort to move things forward. Everyone tries to get to know each other to build a better team environment.

Haseeb Khan

How would you describe Haven Life’s culture?

Warm and welcoming. No one saw us as just interns who would leave in a few weeks. They invested time in us and explained things in depth. Haven Life is a small organization — there’s a lot of things you could do based on what you’re interested in since there’s not a lot of bureaucracy.

What was your favorite part of the internship?

I really liked meeting my buddy! Having a buddy helped ease my nerves of starting an internship. We would catch up every week, and I really enjoyed the advice I got from talking to him.

How would you describe Haven Life in one or two words?

Fruitcake. Everyone in Haven Life is unique. There is the Haven Life wrapping that brings everyone together, but everyone is also an individual — the pieces of the fruitcake. Even though everyone was doing something similar, they had their own speciality or something unique about them, which makes them stand out.

Nowshin Sayara

How would you describe Haven Life’s culture?

Collaborative, very kind and helpful. Everyone is there for you, if you need help or just want to talk.

What was your favorite part of the internship?

I loved working with my team. Everyone was great and helpful. Even though it was virtual, we were able to connect and it felt like a group. I have friends interning elsewhere who felt like they didn’t get to connect with their groups in the same way that I did.

What did you think of your team lead’s communication style, and the frequency or infrastructure of the check-in process?

The daily stand ups and stand downs were helpful. There were times when my team and I stayed on one call for hours to make us feel like we were sitting with each other. This also made the work we were doing feel like a team effort — I felt connected to my team.

Taz Zahid

How would you describe Haven Life’s culture?

The culture went beyond my expectations. I interned at a large international company before — I felt that the culture there was super-corporate and serious. I had anxiety going into this internship, because in the past I’ve had to really put my best foot forward. In addition, I was nervous because things were remote. But I found the culture here to be super easy going and really welcoming. I thought the work environment here was also more collaborative than it was at my other internship.

I was also really worried about going into the adult world. I thought working here would be boring, but Haven Life really put the wellbeing of employees here first. I did not expect a tech company to react the way Haven Life did during the storming of the Capitol. When we got an email from the CEO acknowledging what happened, I thought it showed attentiveness to the wellbeing of people here that I didn’t expect.

Institutions that I’ve been part of have more often cared most about their product and goal. But I saw that Haven Life puts people first.

What’s one thing you would change about the internship?

Make it longer! I really mean it when I say that I like the vibe of the company, and I wish I could have spent more time here!

What was your favorite Haven Life value?

I really liked Haven Life’s value of building things that matter. Especially in STEM/technology, people are so focused on making things for the sake of making them. I feel that this value hits on a more human aspect when it comes to building something. It ensures that you don’t just get lost in the flow of working. You get to look at the bigger picture of how what you’re making is impacting people. I like that!

Any advice for folks who may be considering an internship at Haven Life?

Don’t stop asking questions. Stay curious. Have fun. Don’t be afraid to communicate.