On the cutting edge of innovation
App earns University of Windsor student trip to Apple conference in California
It’s not like Joel Rorseth was sitting around with time on his hands when the chance to earn a trip to a global conference by technology giant Apple came along.
The second-year computer science student at the University of Windsor was in the midst of final exams last month, with looming deadlines for two major projects, when Apple threw open applications for a scholarship to its Worldwide Developer Conference.
“It was absolutely crazy,” the 20-year-old said of juggling significant school obligations with Apple’s demanding application process.
“You basically had three weeks to make an app for their platform,” he said of developing a Swift playground that teaches users how to learn and explore coding language for an iPad.
“It’s like making an app almost for educational purposes,” said Rorseth, who fashioned one in the shape of an advanced tutorial.
His effort, achieved over weekends and late-night sessions, was judged on creativity, content and technical accomplishment.
Ultimately, it earned him one of a dozen scholarships handed out across Canada for the San Jose conference, June 5-9.
Apple doled out 350 conference scholarships around the globe.
“It was so worth the effort,” Rorseth said.
Working as a software engineer in California’s Silicon Valley, and in particular for Apple, are career goals for Rorseth.
“It’s like the hub of innovation,” he said of Silicon Valley. “There’s an energy and vibe to it, it seems like the future. There’s a lot of fantastic companies there I’d love to work for.”
He plans to impersonate a sponge and soak up “as much information as I can” during the conference while taking the opportunity to network and learn more about available internships or co-ops he could vie for while completing his final two years of university.
He’s a few weeks into a summer internship with Brave Control Solutions in Windsor where he’s researching prospective code for testing and development.
“It’s been great,” Rorseth said of the experience. “Not all of my friends got co-ops like this. Some are fixing Wi-Fi routers and taking calls.”
Rorseth and his friends grew up playing their Game Boys in Amherstburg.
“But the big thing for me was when the iPod touch came out,” he recalled. “All of a sudden every kid had it and I thought how cool it would be to make apps for this. I was really interested in it.”
That fascination has only increased with time.
“I’d love to work somewhere at Apple,” he said. “It’s pie in the sky but that’s what I’m working towards.”