A Powerful Mission with Global Impact
See how SureStart is changing the lives of students all over the world:
"Being a part of the MIT FutureMakers Create-a-thon* has genuinely been a once in a lifetime experience. Not only have I learned fantastic technical and power skills, but I've strengthened my network, met inspiring mentors and peers, and broadened my concept of what it means to be a woman in STEM.
Oftentimes, I feel as though I take up too much space in a room or I must apologize for every mistake. I can't seem to shake off this idea that I'm too young, inexperienced, and feminine to belong in a space dedicated to CS or any other male dominated field. Yet, I never felt that way in the MIT FutureMakers program. From our very first day, SureStart created a welcoming and nourishing environment, where women like me are not the exception but the majority. We were encouraged to learn things we had never dreamed of, ask questions when we didn't understand, and most importantly, request help when we needed it. Our conversations about ethical AI made sure not to ignore the burdens we carry, and discussed how to prevent gender-based inequities. Our guest speakers taught us how to voice our unique stories, goals, and skills. SureStart made this possible and I am so grateful not only for the opportunity to participate in this program, but to be part of this group of empowering women.”
— Lili Piesanen, 2021 trainee
* MIT FutureMakers Create-a-thon is a collaboration between SureStart and the MIT RAISE Initiative
Meet SureStart Students
-
2021 trainee
Netra Ramesh
My life changed because of the MIT FutureMaker program! I've never been so passionate about my future — the program gave me a chance to learn, communicate with people I wanted to be like, and experience a formal and organized community like SureStart. I’ve searched far and wide and I’ve only found Surestart to provide a FREE program that provides a mentor and multiple benefits. I would most definitely recommend this program — it changed my vision and focus for the future! -
2021-2022 trainee
Ammran H Mohamed
Thank you so much SureStart! From the mentorship provided to the coding gym, you all have helped me enhance my skills and showed me ways to continue to strengthen them well after the programs. I never hesitated to reach out to you whether it was resume help or for guidance on what interviewers want to see. Because of you’re endless support, I’ve been able to surprise myself with my work and achievements and you all have helped me reach goals I’ve set for myself! Because I only have just over 1.5 of coding experience, I’ve struggled so much with my internship search. However, with your help I’ve received offers for roles at the top of my list! -
2021 trainee
Ashmita Kumar
This program has been truly amazing. StartStart’s passion really does show through and the experience you created is unforgettable. My team could not have made the app without your support and guidance. You gave me the tools to design a solution to a problem close to my heart, and I really can't thank you enough. -
2021 trainee
Milan Ferus-Comelo
Thank you VERY, VERY much for organizing such an amazing program! I'm incredibly honored to be part of such a tightly-knit community and marvel at how far we've come and how much we have learned. I hope we stay in touch! -
2021 trainee
Nouran Ali
Being a student in the SureStart program boosted my skills and resume and helped me to get job offers and interviews at reputable companies. During the program, the live sessions introduced new topics like CV writing and interview skills, career coaching, other advanced DL topics and more. I'm glad that I was a part of this program and I encourage all students to apply, it's a great opportunity! -
2021 & 2022 trainee
Jed Rendo Margarcia
I love the fact that the SureStart program is heavily project-based learning. I am able to apply it to future projects instead of just learning the theory behind certain algorithms. I'm excited to compete in the Create-a-thon so that I can apply what I have learned to projects that could potentially help others and put those learnings into practice. -
2020 trainee
Sarah Tran
In between the daily curriculum which helps to keep me on track, the fun webinars/chats intertwined that have helped to inspire me to persevere throughout these courses, and my amazing mentor, I have really been enjoying my EMPath experience so far! Thank you for everything you have done to help build such an exciting program. Looking forward to the makeathon phase! -
2021 trainee
Vitaliy Stephanov
SureStart helped prepare me with the skills I needed to become a Software Development Engineer at Amazon Web Services. Amazon takes leadership principles very seriously. I learned how to be a leader from 14 tech talks and the unique entrepreneurial makeathon. Designing and implementing an IoT device provided valuable resume experience and behavioral interview stories. I am now on a IoT team at AWS that impacts billions of devices. -
2020 trainee
Ashna Khetan
Thank you so much for the amazing opportunity to join this 5 week program. I've learned so much — not just limited to machine learning and coding, but also about how to market myself in the tech world, the necessity for inclusivity in tech workplaces, and how to lead a happy, successful life in general. This program was certainly the highlight of my summer. -
2020 trainee
Walee Attia
I really enjoyed learning about computer vision, and working with Affectiva's SDK to build the eye closure detector — beyond cool. I'm grateful to have been inspired by your mentorship and advice throughout the 5 week program. My team’s presentation really benefited a lot from the tips you gave us and were able to polish up our prototype. Lastly, my mentor was amazing! He often went out of his way to help us or reached out to share other resources that he thought could help us navigate some issues. He also worked around our team’s time differences even when it was clearly inconvenient to his schedule. -
2020 trainee
Hadeel Mabrouk
It has been an honor and a pleasure being part of the EMPath program this year. It's actually one of the most important highlights of this year for me. Thank you so much for your tremendous support and encouragement since day 1! I so much hope our paths will cross again one day. :) -
2020 trainee
Wilder Crosier
Thank you so much for organizing such an incredible program. I had no idea what I would do this July, I thought I would just be stuck at home. EMPath was a really incredible opportunity to offer all of us students a chance to learn technical skills, meet interesting people, and experience a little bit of what it's like to be in a start-up and design a product. The SureStart team was so kind and welcoming to everyone, and for our group specifically, your support in our meetings gave us a clear understanding of what we were doing, and where we needed to go next. -
2020 trainee
Roberto Martinez
Taking part in the EMPath program was an incredible and very insightful experience. I will make sure to put everything I learned to good use. I would just once again like to thank SureStart for everything you did during these past 5-6 weeks and I hope we can remain in contact. -
2020 trainee
Catherine Lu
The SureStart program was such a great experience, and I’m so thankful to have been able to attend. Our team is extremely grateful for the positive responses we received towards Introspect. We were very passionate about this project from the beginning of the Makeathon, and we would love to pursue this idea further into a full-fledged product! -
2021 trainee
Eli Gnesin
I’ve learned a lot of the ins and outs of neural networks in Phase 1, which I enjoyed and which will help me in a wide variety of applications. I’m excited for the Makeathon to put what we’ve learned into practice and solve a new and exciting problem. -
2021 trainee
Alexa Urrea
SureStart dramatically and directly impacted my life. Before this program, I had no idea I wanted to be involved in the tech community like I do now. Thanks to SureStart, I found a real passion in computer science and in Artificial Intelligence specifically. It helped me land my first ever internship with a great company as a machine learning intern. I would not have found this passion and I definitely would not have these career doors open without SureStart. Thank you so much for your support and believing in all of us! -
2021 trainee
Jonathan Williams
The SureStart program was truly transformative. The course curriculum and mentor guidance allowed me to gain a deep understanding of ML. Moreover, the program connected me with a fulfilling ML internship opportunity. I simply cannot recommend this program enough! -
2021 trainee
Sahana Sreeram
The SureStart summer program was the most impactful technology experience that I have had so far. It combined hands-on applied machine learning concepts with a unique focus on AI ethics, and culminated with an incredible showcase of the team-created projects. The caliber of members of the program and the quality of ideas in the final presentations blew me away, and I felt that each and every one of the final team products had the potential to change the world. The program taught me some important life skills as well - the art of storytelling, how to work collaboratively in a virtual setting, and how to create lasting relationships with mentors. I’m so thankful to SureStart for providing me with this wonderful opportunity, and I know that I will build upon the skills I learned in the program, and surely hope to use these skills in the days to come. -
2020 trainee
Mohamed Abead
I feel like I have grown a lot through EMPath; I have managed to learn a lot about emotional AI and gained hands-on experience working on an app, while growing my interpersonal skills and getting to meet amazing people from all over the U.S and the world. I feel like I have learnt a lot about team collaboration through our daily meetings and by working on our app with the team. -
2021 trainee
Jason Jerome
The SureStart program was a learning experience unlike anything I've participated in before. The daily mentorship, team-based learning process, the well-paced curriculum, and the ample resources provided made it possible to learn difficult concepts with no prior experience! Thanks to the dedicated mentors and SureStart staff, I was able to excel in applying the concepts learned from the curriculum in the Makeathon. SureStart has also greatly been involved in helping me find internships after completing the program, and thanks to their support I was recently offered a summer internship!
Olivia gets accepted to MIT
With an admittance rate of just over 4%, Olivia says her experience with the 5-week EMPath program run by SureStart played a pivotal role in helping her get admitted to MIT. “MIT were impressed that I spent my summer trying to actively learn and develop new skills!”
Jordan Makes Informed Career Decisions
The SureStart program is about more than just learning new skills, it’s also about figuring out how to turn a passion into a career. High school student Jordan says of his experience, “I really didn’t know if I wanted to go ahead with machine learning as a career, and being able to actually see all of the ideas on my screen and see it work, it really put into perspective ‘oh, maybe this is possible!’”
Rezwan paves the path for others
One of the core pillars of the SureStart program is mentorship, something that Rezwan says is extremely important when starting out on any new journey. "In any field that I pursued, I've always had someone show me the way. It's really important when you're starting off. It gives you a sense of direction.”
Makeathon Spotlight
For our Spring 2021 Makeathon, students built and presented their ethically designed working AI solutions. The 1st place winner, InnovAlte, recognized the diverse needs of teen drivers and the ethical implications of building automotive tech using computer vision and designed DriveAID accordingly.
“SureStart’s unique skills in finding and developing young diverse talent, matching them with inspirational mentors, and aligning their work with our company’s roadmap has given Affectiva a competitive advantage.”
Dr. Rana el Kaliouby, Co-founder and CEO, Affectiva
