The power of emerging talent is something we value as part of SAP’s Premium Hub Center of Expertise (CoE). In the ever-changing world of technology, young professionals are the key to keeping innovation strong and new ideas plentiful. To inspire future STEM professionals, the CoE team hosts a High School Orientation program each summer. The program gives students who are interested in pursuing careers in STEM-related fields the chance to learn about SAP technologies from professionals in the field.
The students got the full SAP Experience this year by spending the week at the Newtown Square campus! The week started off with a high-level introduction of SAP along with a presentation on the different internship opportunities offered to college students. They received advice about starting their own career journey and learned about the different career paths available to young professionals at SAP.
Over the course of the week, the students learned about the latest SAP technologies that CoE experts use every day, such as Artificial Intelligence and Mobility. In addition to meeting with CoE experts, experts from the Mission Control Center (MCC) gave an overview of their team’s role in protecting and ensuring customer success with SAP solutions. To end the week, Balaji Rao Gaddam, Head of Premium Hub CoE North America, met with the students to discuss his role at SAP and share career advice. He further explained the CoE’s purpose in driving digital transformations for some of the largest companies in the world.
Throughout the week, the students became familiar with all parts of the Newtown Square campus. There was a tour of the entire building where they learned about how sustainability was a top priority when it came to designing the campus. They were also showcased the Industry 4.0 Center, which is an innovation workspace chartered to accelerate the Industry 4.0 journey of customers through a hands-on approach. They later explored the D-Shop and discovered how SAP uses state-of-the-art equipment to highlight the value of SAP solutions to customers. There, they interacted with hologram machines, robots, and even a virtual driving simulation!
Each year students work on a project that is always relevant to the latest in technology. This year they built a budgeting application using SAP’s Mobile Development Kit, SAP Mobile Services, and SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). At the end of the week, the students presented their project with great success! We’re proud of their completion of the project and are glad they found the overall experience fulfilling. See for yourself what some of them had to say.
“The SAP CoE Summer STEM Orientation Week gave me a truly amazing and unique experience, as it challenged me to solve a problem using an unfamiliar software. It not only taught me about SAP and their software, but also about teamwork and how working together brings you much farther than working alone. I hope to come back to SAP, whether it be through the STAR program or other means and join the wonderful community they have built.” - Kaden Bothma
“This program was an exciting glimpse into what it's like to work as an industry professional. I learned that at SAP, a work environment can be fun and collaborative with many amenities such as a gym, garden, and not to mention the amazing food. I was able to learn about what people do at SAP and experience it through engaging tours and presentations. Also, I was able to build my skills in mobile app development and experience what real developers at SAP could be working on. Overall, it was a great learning experience and I got to meet so many new people.” - Arav Ravula
“Thank you so much for this opportunity! I'm thankful to each and every person who made this week possible. Spending some quality time in the SAP headquarters over the week really taught me the significance and prominence of this company. All of us had a wonderful experience throughout the week, from developing apps to touring this impressive building. Again, thank you so much for this experience of a lifetime!” - Tarun Anand
Year after year, the CoE team looks forward to hosting the Summer Orientation and is continuously impressed with the students who participate. SAP is happy to be a part of the students’ learning journey and we encourage them to continue exploring their interests in STEM and beyond!
Thank you to Balaji Rao Gaddam for sponsoring and hosting this year’s event.
Thank you to the SAP colleagues who coordinated this year’s Summer Orientation and made it a success!
Ryan Weicker &
Megan Rech (Leads),
Audra Stein (Project Coordinator),
Rosalind Williams (HR)
And a special thanks to the SAP speakers and colleagues who shared their expertise!
John Astill (D-Shop Demo),
June Huynh (STAR Internship Program),
Justin Lynch (SAP Overview & Career Development),
George Harwood (NSQ Campus Tour),
Anja-Katja Kerber &
Vivek RR (Artificial Intelligence Experts),
Ben Hughes,
Rakesh Gandhi,
Matt Ruff,
Jack LaMaina (Industry 4.0 Center Tour),
Anupama Raj &
Nicholas DeSola (MCC Presentation)
If you have any questions or feedback about the Summer Orientation, please contact Megan Rech.