People of EA: Interns - Jerry & Nicolas

Electronic Arts’ internship program provides great opportunities for students to start and grow their careers while cultivating their passions along the way. This fall, we welcomed a new class of #intEArns to our virtual Next-Gen Talent internship program. Learn how Software Engineer Intern Jerry, and his classmate Nicolas, Project Manager Intern, connected through the open, inclusive, and social culture that EA fosters.

Fast Facts:

• Name: Nicolas Abou Sawan
• Title: Project Manager Intern
• Field of Study: Management Engineering/Computer Science Joint Honours
• School: University of Waterloo

Describe yourself and your background. 

I am a second-gen Canadian and proud Lebanese, born and raised in Toronto. I lived my whole life in Canada but was heavily influenced by my Arab heritage. In fact, I learned to speak Arabic before learning to speak English! I had the opportunity to study abroad for an international exchange in Switzerland at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne last September and then, right after, flew to Vancouver to start my internship at Electronic Arts. I can still remember doing my interviews at 1 am. I am a big techie - I love keeping up with the upcoming tech trends, from the latest smartwatch to the newest Mac. If I could, I would be upgrading my devices every year.

What drew you to EA?

I really wanted a big brand company and a high-profile project on my resume, so working on FIFA 21 was the perfect opportunity. When I was searching for internship opportunities, I was biased towards working at well-known companies. Everything happens for a reason, as EA has been the best and most rewarding internship experience ever! I mean, it's been a year and I STILL haven’t left. I’ve been given opportunities to work on complex projects as there was no such thing as a low-priority “intern” project at this company. I was expected to get my hands dirty (metaphorically, of course, a clean keyboard makes a happy developer) and start working on the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) server from the get go. I vibe really well with the open, inclusive, and social culture that EA fosters which makes me feel so at home. So in short: I joined for the clout, but stayed because it was lit!

What makes EA a unique place to intern?  

The intEArn EA-xperince is simply EA-mazing! The Next-Gen Talent team --the team that is responsible for hiring and taking care of interns during our tenure at EA-- has been phenomenal at providing opportunities for interns to network, socialize and learn (through professional development sessions and wellbEAing initiatives). We had Zoom yoga sessions, Keynote Speakers, The Sims and Apex Legends competitions, and just simple Zoom hangout sessions as well. EA is trying really hard to help us have a memorable experience despite all of us being remote.

Oh, and one more thing to mention, most intern events have a food allowance as well, so EA makes sure to treat us to some fine food delivery. If you thought Freshman 15 was bad, wait until you join EA.

What team are you working with? What project are you working on for us? 

I mean, uh FIFA! Do I even need to elaborate? On the FIFA Ultimate Team, I was a server engineer. I built APIs, tested new features, and contributed to the development of FIFA 21! I was one of the server engineers that helped build the cooperative play feature on FUT.

On EAX, I am a Product Manager for a whole new player experience that EA is redesigning. From EA Play to EA app, we are working on improving the Origin experience for PC Players and the EA web experience for everyone. As a PM, I make sure we focus on the important things that the player needs to have for an awesome experience.

What was your reaction to EA’s call for a virtual internship following safety protocols for COVID-19? How have you leveraged some perks or benefits from this remote internship?

I was one of the few lucky interns that got the opportunity to work in the office, before transitioning to remote work. My temporary residence in Vancouver was ill-equipped to work from home. I just had a table, a wooden chair, and my laptop. Not optimal when you’re trying to build a AAA game. But EA was there to support me in the transition, they sent me a monitor and all the tools I needed to be successful. They even gave me a WFH allowance to help me buy anything else I needed to work remotely which funded a nice pair of noise-canceling headphones. Even though I am missing out on working in the office, I never felt that I am disadvantaged in any way. Constant Zoom calls with Next-Gen Talent, my fellow interns, and my team have kept me feeling connected. And with my new headphones, I can just noise cancel out any negativity caused by working from home.

Tell us something we don’t know about you.

I love languages! I speak three languages - Arabic (C1), English (C2), and French (B1) and I am in the process of learning two more: German (A2) and American Sign Language, though finding time to consistently practice is tough.

Fast Facts:

• Name: Jerry Chu
• Title: Software Engineer Intern
• Major: Computer Science
• School: University of British Columbia

Describe yourself and your background. 

I was born in Taiwan and raised in Shanghai. I came to Vancouver four years ago and started a new chapter of my life at UBC. Three academic years and two internships later, I am now a nerdy fourth-year computer science student who has a strong interest in software development. Coding is probably going to be my life-long friend.

What team are you working with? What project are you working on for us? 

I am a software engineer co-op on Frostbite, specifically the editor framework team. Since I just started work a month ago, I am completing smaller tasks to familiarize myself with the codebase, but hopefully I get to complete an exciting project that I can showcase by the end of my internship.

What makes EA a unique place to intern?  

What makes EA truly unique is the fact that it provides an environment where interns are able to invest in themselves and grow. Despite working from home, the skills I have gained and learned within one month have already exceeded my expectations. In addition, I was super excited to learn that I would be completing an end-to-end project during my term. I believe this is an excellent opportunity to learn from the people before me as well as to showcase what I have up my sleeves. I cannot wait to experience more of what EA has to offer!

How do you think this internship will help you on your career path?  

Besides learning and gaining experience on a technical level, I think what EA will help me with the most is providing me with its networking opportunities. Despite a virtual internship, I have already met so many talented and genuine individuals who I believe will help me along the way of my internship and even beyond. The connections I have made here will likely last the rest of my life and there is so much I can learn from all of them. I am looking forward to continuously learning from my co-workers.

We acknowledge that you are interning during an international conversation on the systemic injustice, racism, and violence here in the United States. With that, it can be hard to bring yourself to work. What communities or conversations have you joined at EA to share your experiences or learn from others. Have you attended any events to further the conversation?

I have participated in ASPIRE’s (our Asian & Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group) event to learn more about what the community does and what it can offer to other people. I love how EA has all these different communities that I can comfortably join to be a part of something. I really think no matter what your background is, you will definitely find your place at EA.

Tell us something we don’t know about you.

I was on UBC’s quidditch team in my first year but I haven’t read Harry Potter before.

Learn more about our Next-Gen Talent program and apply to be a part of our next intern class.

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