One of our favorite parts of this gig is when someone joins Field Day and reminds us how much energy a curious, hands-on person can bring to a team. This year, that person was Matthew Dinh, our engineering intern. We first met Matthew through the Portland Workforce Alliance Work Connections breakfast and lo and behold, we became connected and he became a worker! Don't you love it when a plan comes together?
We sat down with him to talk about growing up in Portland, building things in high school, and what he's learned on the job.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in NE Portland, but moved to SW Portland around 2017.
Where did you go to high school?
I went to Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School in southwest Portland, formerly Woodrow Wilson High School.
What were some of your favorite things you did as part of your high school experience?
I have a lot of favorites—but the ones that had the biggest effect on me would be developing games for the Oregon Game Project Challenge, and building a solar powered EV charger in my Makerspace club.
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Although I'm not too good at either, I've been interested in music production and videography since I started middle school.
What's a fun fact about you?
Despite a lot of my hobbies revolving around my computer, I haven't mastered "home row" typing yet. I've been working on it, though!
Where are you going to college?
I'm going to Oregon State University in Corvallis, and majoring in Computer Science.
What else are you interested in studying?
Aside from my major, I'm interested in studying business, aerospace engineering, and robotics.
How did you find out about Field Day?
I found out about Field Day through a Portland Workforce Alliance event.
What intern project are you working on at Field Day?
My project gives Field Day employees the ability to turn on and off specific features within the Field Day app.
What are some things you've learned during your internship?
I've learned how to use TypeScript, React, and work/communicate in a hybrid office environment.
Thank you, Matthew. Bringing in young talent from our own community is something we absolutely love to do at Field Day. Partners like Portland Workforce Alliance and POIC make it possible. We're grateful for everything Matthew brought to the team this year, and we can't wait to see what he builds next. Go Beavs!
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