WIMTACH Student Profile: Maharsh Patel

Maharsh Patel was an IT professional who decided to switch into a Data Science or Artificial Intelligence (AI) and joined the Centennial College’s Software Engineering Technology AI program. A friend told him about their experience at WIMTACH and the benefits of an internship at WIMTACH. This motivated Maharsh to apply for an internship opportunity once he began his studies in Centennial College’s AI program. Now a graduate of Centennial College and an alumnus of the WIMTACH internship program, he noted that both these areas were instrumental for his current success in his career.

When first joining WIMTACH, Maharsh was involved with a project collaboration with Neuraura which centered on the development of a cross platform mobile application to manage Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) symptoms. The Calgary based company will be using the application to complement their wearable bioelectronic device which offers a tailored treatment for PCOS with aims of reducing discomforting symptoms. Working with Student Researcher Leonardo Pinto, Maharsh assisted the WIMTACH research team to develop an application that would enable users to control, monitor and assess information during the course of their treatment. His work consisted of coding, software and hardware testing, and deployment.

Interestingly, before this project, Maharsh hadn’t had the opportunity to work on a mobile application, but he quickly became accustomed to the process of developing the application. “I learned the entire process of making an application from this [project],” he said. In particular, he explained that his role helped him to familiarize himself with the latest technologies and libraries for mobile applications, and their roles with hardware integration. As a result, he was able to build a better understanding of how mobile applications work in general and exposure to React Native, a User Interface software framework. Also, working with Leonardo Pinto, a student with more development experience, offered him a tailored mentorship opportunity, which was instrumental in building upon his foundational skills in this area. “This is the first time we are creating from scratch,” he explained. “All that process was new to me.” His involvement in the project also enabled him to improve his communication skills through weekly meetings with the WIMTACH team and regular communications with the leadership team at Neuraura. At the end of this project, he felt quite affirmed when the leadership team approved their work, and they were even featured in the Neuraura newsletter and thanked for their role in the successful development of the application.

Due to his collaboration and contribution to the Neuaura project, Maharsh was also asked to assist with a project with Sekond Skin. The project centered on the development of a consumer mobile application to assist users in managing their fitness activities such as viewing classes, managing subscriptions and rewards. Working as a Deployment Operations and Mobile application student developer, he successfully assisted the team with the first phases of the project before he was hired for a full-time professional role. “I was more confident on doing the second [project] and maybe improving what I learned in the previous project,” he said.

Following his graduation from Centennial College and the end of his internship at WIMTACH, Maharsh was able to secure a Data Analyst role for the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. He recognizes that working on WIMTACH projects helped him to improve his development skills. “That helped me a lot,” he said. “This internship helped me to set a tone for what my future job would be like.” In 5 years, he would like to become an expert in Machine Learning, working within the AI domain and as he reflects on the benefits of his internship at WIMTACH, he thinks other students would learn a lot from joining the program. “It adds a great value, especially to someone who is starting fresh in the field.”

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