Here we share a story that embodies this philosophy and honours the memory of a truly special young man…
This story begins with Nick Feinstein, a bright and promising young man who interned with WeFi in the summer of 2021. In December 2022, he was skiing with his father Andy in Breckenridge, Colorado, and tragically lost his life in an avalanche. Nick was 22 at the time and left a big void in the hearts of everyone who knew him.
Andy Feinstein, who is the President of the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), approached WeFi Co-Founder & Co-CEO (and UNC alumnus), John Schmidt, with a desire to create something meaningful to remember Nick’s legacy. This heartfelt conversation led to the birth of the Nicholas Feinstein Technology Internship Scholarship – to be awarded annually to one of UNC’s top business and technology students.
WeFi is honoured to welcome the very first recipient of this scholarship, Daniel Garza, for a two-month internship in South Africa, at our Stellenbosch-based WeFi Innovation Hub.
Daniel touched down in Cape Town at the beginning of June to a warm welcome from our innovation team.
His mandate? To work on creating new products and improving the ones we already have – while also taking in the sights and sounds of the beautiful ‘Mother City.’
At WeFi, we believe that internships are more than just coffee runs and filing. So as part of his journey with us, Daniel will experience our full software development life cycle, from requirements gathering to delivery.
Our main ‘aspirations’ for Daniel during his internship are for him to:
- Gain practical software development skills
- Further develop his engineering skills
- Expose him to cutting-edge innovation and entrepreneurship
- Foster his professional growth and confidence
- Open doors to future career opportunities
- Offer a rich cultural experience that also broadens his worldview
Overall, we hope to provide Daniel with a transformative learning experience that will not only enhance his technical skills but also contribute to his personal and professional development.
Daniel’s arrival isn’t just cause for internal celebration at WeFi – it’s a testament to the power of internships in shaping tomorrow’s leaders.
Follow Daniel’s journey with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wefitec/
