Seattle can't get enough of Gayle Laakmann, who has interned at the Microsoft headquarters for three years and will be working for Google after she graduates.
When Laakmann -- a fifth-year Engineering senior who submatriculated into the master's program -- started interning at Microsoft the summer after freshman year, she felt inferior compared to her peers from Carnegie Mellon and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"I felt really outmatched because everyone else had so much more experience than me," Laakmann said.
Laakmann said that Penn's Engineering curriculum, although valuable, is lacking in its practical application.
"Penn's curriculum isn't bad," Laakmann said. "It's just more theoretical."
"One of the problems is because of large classes, you can't give the kids freedom to explore their own interests," she added.
So last spring, Laakmann decided to create a small, hands-on class. She is currently a teaching assistant for the seven-person seminar, working alongside Computer Science professor Pat Palmer.
Everyone in the class is required to compete in a final programming contest, now in its second year.
Both Penn and Drexel students will compete in the contest, which Laakmann developed. Students will submit various projects that use Microsoft software to design new computer programs.
Engineering freshman David Siegel is designing a program that enables users to communicate with a remote computer. For example, if students studying in the library want to access a document on their dorm computer, they can use the program to retrieve the document.
Siegel said that Laakmann pushes him and his peers "more than we think we can or should be pushed."
"Learning the specifics or more technical details is not really what a traditional computer science education is about, but I think it's extremely valuable," Siegel said.
Laakmann said that she gives her students a lot more freedom to create projects.
"To advance you have to be doing projects sophomore year -- get the experience very early on," she said.
Laakmann said that after developing the course, she felt a lot more confident when arriving for another internship last summer.
As Microsoft's liaison for the University, Laakmann has encouraged students to get hands-on experience. Some of them will follow in her footsteps and intern at Microsoft this summer.
Palmer, who teaches software design and development, said that Laakmann's success is a reflection of her optimistic outlook.
"She's fearless, and I don't think she's ever seen a barrier," Palmer said. "It's an attitude I admire."
Palmer added that Laakmann has networking and social skills that are valuable but not taught in the curriculum.
"She grooms and fosters students to do things that are good for them," Palmer said.
Laakmann's mother, Kathy Crothall, said that her daughter knew in high school that she wanted to go into computer science.
"She is extraordinarily energetic and industrious," the entrepreneur said. "It'll be interesting to see what she'll do with her life."
