My name is Phung Nguyen, and I am a fourth-year Computer Science student. During the spring
semester, I had the privilege of interning with 3D Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to
educating and empowering young women and girls to advocate for themselves and their families.
Throughout my internship, my work primarily focused on creating a comprehensive digital
technical manual to support staff, developers, and designers working on the Girls Link Up
(GLU) platform. The GLU platform is a web app that provides STEAM and social-emotional
wellness content for over 500 girls.
Some of my key achievements during the internship included writing a 97-page developer
documentation outlining the platform’s architecture, AWS infrastructure, database design, CI/CD
deployment processes, operational workflows, maintenance procedures, and troubleshooting
guidelines. I also analyzed the current user experience to identify pain points and provide
improvements to the user interface. Using existing feedback from a survey of 34 current users, I
organized qualitative responses through an affinity map to uncover common patterns in user
sentiment. This analysis revealed a recurring need for step-by-step guidance throughout the
games to help users better engage with the learning outcomes. Over 70% of survey respondents
reported feeling lost or confused during gameplay, with many requesting clearer instructions. In
response, I proposed solutions such as adding help tooltips to each game so users could easily
reference instructions as needed.
In addition to my core work on the developer documentation and UX analysis, I also conducted a
comparison analysis of potential future curriculum development tools. This involved thorough
research and evaluation, resulting in actionable recommendations to support the organization’s
expansion and strategic planning.
One of the biggest takeaways from my experience was learning not to overestimate how much I
could accomplish within a given timeframe. I realized later in my internship that I had taken on
more responsibilities than I could comfortably manage, largely due to underestimating the time
required for certain tasks. As a result, I strengthened my ability to ask clarifying questions about
scope and expectations before committing to new work, allowing me to plan more effectively
and communicate more transparently.
Reflecting on my overall experience, I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of an
organization whose mission I strongly believe in. Raioni and the staff at 3D Girls Inc. supported
me throughout my internship and taught me the importance of grit by demonstrating their
dedication to bringing the organization’s vision to life every day. This experience has left a
lasting impact on me and is one I will not take for granted.
This reflection is part of Georgia Tech’s Social Impact Fellows program, offered through the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact (ILSI). This program connects students with nonprofit and community organizations in Atlanta for semester-long, hands-on project experiences designed to foster co-learning, social responsibility, and personal growth. To learn more about program details and application information, please visit our program webpage.