Hello,

My name is AJ Johnson and I’m the new intern working at Smart School Councils this fall! I’ll be focusing on helping to automate the administrative tasks.

I’m a senior studying computer science at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, but this semester I’m staying in the South Bank area of London as a part of the university’s study abroad program. I’m originally from the beautiful and foggy San Francisco Bay Area.

I have experience programming in many languages including Python, C, and Go, and I have a particular interest in automation and cybersecurity. I’m very excited at the chance to apply some of my skills to help solve the real problems faced by SSC, and hopefully make everyone else’s job a bit easier. Over the summer, I worked with web servers, databases, and low-level applications, but this fall I’m excited to utilize my coding skills in a new way to streamline administrative tasks and ensure those working full-time can spend their time and resources reaching more schools and making an even bigger impact. I’m very pleased to be able to use my technical skills to contribute to a charity that’s making such a positive impact for young people.

When considering internships, SSC stood out to me because of its mission to encourage students to be vocal and learn the value of discussion and democracy. Now is such an important time to help young people grow up to be active participants in democracy and have their voices heard. I think that I would have very much benefited from the service that SSC provides when I was younger, as I feel that I missed out on democratic experiences in my schooling. I am also excited that I will be able to use my programming skills to make a positive impact in the world, something that I hope to continue in my job, whatever it may be, after graduation.

In my free time I love to swim, play basketball, and go on hikes. I’ve loved exploring London and the UK during my short time here so far, and I can’t wait to see more of this beautiful city!

I’m really looking forward to starting and getting to know you and the team better!

- AJ