It is a daunting feat to land a job with Google after graduating, but this Drexel junior balancing the workload of a finance and marketing major with minors in international economics and international area studies has already crossed that task off her bucket list. Coming off of a summer internship with Google at its San Francisco campus, Samuella Takyi-Buachie is ready to resume her position as Drexel’s first Google Student Ambassador.
While most Drexel students were having as much fun as possible on our only summer off, Samuella applied for Google’s Build Opportunities for Leadership and Development (BOLD) Discovery Program, which tries to attract students who are traditionally underrepresented in the technology industry. This program gave Samuella the chance to take classes with Google’s career center, which also involved some personal interest classes such as yoga.
At the end of the BOLD Program, she was recommended by Google program managers to the Google Student Ambassador Program and was selected as the first ever Drexel Google student ambassador after an in-depth selection process. This role set her up as a liaison between Google and Drexel tasked with the responsibility of marketing Google to students by hosting fun events and being the point of contact for Google teams. She was also in charge of giving Google a better understanding of Drexel’s culture, including our unique Co-Op Program.
Her work on campus entails partnering with other student organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers, who have similar missions as Google. “As a GSA, my hope is to teach students about innovative Google products and to let them know the many opportunities that are available for them and not just for tech students,” Samuella said. She thinks Google is a huge company that has something for everyone, not just those students with an interest in technology.
The position, like any other, has both positive and negative sides to it. Samuella said that she loves helping students who have a genuine interest in the company to excel by providing them with the necessary tools. According to Samulla, her least favorite part of her job would be having to tell students that she is unable to take their résumés as her job is as a contact, not as a recruiter. As a GSA, she has realized that many students have an interest in working for Google, something she had not realized before.
The role of GSA has influenced Samuella’s path so much that she decided to spend her second co-op working with the company at its headquarters in Mountain View, California. She decided this after realizing how the position gave her the freedom to pursue other interests, especially since she has no background in the technology industry. Her experience was an exciting one and she is very grateful for having the chance to pursue such an opportunity. She hopes to take advantage of more chances to expand her horizon as they come.
When asked about her plans after graduation, Samuella said that she will “most likely pursue a graduate degree – not exactly sure in what yet but it will be along the lines of finance and/or international relations/affairs and international development, however, I am flexible and I like to keep my options open.”
At Drexel, she is involved in other organizations such as The Good Idea Fund, Drexel African Students Organization, Clinton Global Initiative – Drexel Chapter, Drexel Finance Investment Group, and Drexel African Dance Team. Samuella manages to balance all these experiences and in addition to writing a blog, Sincerely, Samuella, where she shares both her professional and personal experiences. She hopes her blog inspires and gives others the push to follow in their dreams. Keep up with Samuella and find out what this go-getter does next.