Page 15 - Access Magazine 2023

Teams from multiple universities pursued projects through NASA MINDS, a NASA funded-program to encourage minority-serv- ing colleges and universities to advance technologies for NASA’s Artemis Mission to the moon and Mars. “I was excited to get to work on newer technologies,” Mannan says. “It was amazing.” The team won second place in one category. Dr. Hubert Cecotti, associate professor of computer science who supervised the team, praises Mannan: “He’s a curious student motivated to work on re- search projects.”
Another big opportunity came when Google selected him for a 12-week program to work on a Web application under the guidance and direction of its engineers. Mannan led a three- person team developing an app to match international students as roommates based on their daily habits. Being selected by Google was
“ like a dream come
true,” he says. “I really
liked the culture and work environment. Everybody was ready to help at anytime.”
As Mannan adjusted to life in Fresno, the Covid pandemic upended daily life in ways never experienced before. “I was really scared like everyone else.” Events cascaded out of his control: he lost his job at the In- ternational Office when the campus shut down, he had to manage a rent increase, and he worried that his visa would be revoked. (It wasn’t.) “My only coping mechanism was to keep doing what I love doing – focusing on my classes and doing projects.” Mannan also maintained a sense of stability by talking to his parents almost daily. But they faced their own challenges. His mother experienced a re- currence of cancer, and his father eventually downsized his business to care for his wife. Mannan responded by going home to help his parents during one of the semesters when all of his courses were online.
There were other challenges and disap- pointments, as well. He applied for several high tech internships that he didn’t get (“I put a lot of pressure on myself and was very disappointed”), and he broke his wrist in a skateboarding accident after returning to Fresno from India. The accident left his hand in a cast, making it difficult to use his fingers for coding. “But I dealt with the pain and did it anyway.”
His strategy was to push forward and seek the next opportunity. One came via the Valley Industry Partnership, a program developed between the Lyles College of Engineering at Fresno State and leading companies in the region to provide internship opportunities for qualified students. The program selected Mannan, which eventually led to a paying job as a software engineer for Motorola Solutions in Clovis. He worked 40 hours a week while finishing his degree. Mannan never regretted coming to Fresno State. “I love the Computer Science Department and all my professors. They’re really helpful, and they want students to succeed.” Mannan definitely did, deciding to take his Fresno State education and find a job in the technology industry.
“I took a big risk when
I came here, and I want to stay. I want to start my life in this country where I’ve been able to do so much.”
“THE PEOPLE IN THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE HAVE BEEN AN IMMENSE SUPPORT FROM DAY ONE,” MANNAN SAYS.
ACCESS - The Division of Continuing and Global Education 15