The Future Faces of Tech: Meet Cadence's 2022 GEM Fellowship Interns

Cadence is honored to partner with The National Graduate Engineering Minorities Consortium (GEM) as part of our mission to foster a diverse workforce in the STEM community. Throughout its four-decade history, GEM has connected bright and talented young minds from underrepresented groups to top companies, research facilities, and universities.

This summer, we are thrilled to have five incredible students join our Cadence team as GEM Fellows. Throughout the course of their internship, they will have the opportunity to apply their field of study to the ways in which Cadence is shaping the world of technology, which includes innovations in 5G, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and artificial intelligence (AI).

GEM Fellows will also have the chance to grow their professional network by connecting with other interns and influential leaders at Cadence through our series of global intern events, as well as contribute to Inclusion Groups by providing important feedback that helps to further expand equity and inclusion in technology. GEM Fellows will be collaborating with innovators across the organization and will use their new skills to advance their future career goals.   

We are proud to showcase the impact of the fellows’ accomplishments at Cadence, as well as share their post-graduation pursuits. Each of them brings unique ideas and perspectives, strengthening our One Cadence—One Team culture. Get to know our GEM Fellows and hear what they had to say about their experience:

Kayla Thames, Georgia Institute of Technology

Studying to achieve a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kayla is driven to own a tech start-up that helps small business owners thrive. She is also excited to return to academic life with more effective multitasking skills, something she has improved upon during her time at Cadence.

What has been the most exciting part of your internship at Cadence?
The most exciting part of my internship at Cadence is that I have the opportunity to test and critique the software that my group is currently developing.

How has being a GEM Fellow impacted you?
Being a GEM Fellow has opened the doors for so many new experiences and opportunities. I am truly appreciative of the GEM Fellowship and all their work to provide opportunities, such as this internship with Cadence, to myself and other minorities.

Why did you decide to intern at Cadence?
I decided to intern at Cadence because not only was I impressed with the work and efforts made by the company, but I also had a great experience with my recruiter and interviewer, which made the decision to join Cadence a no-brainer.

Saidi Williams, John Hopkins University

Returning to Cadence for a second year, Saidi plans to complete his Electrical Engineering Master’s program in 2023. Saidi has most enjoyed expanding his understanding of the impact Cadence tools have on chip design, development, manufacturing, and the industry worldwide. Welcome back, Saidi!

How has being a GEM Fellow impacted you?
Being a GEM Fellow has impacted me in ways I could only dream of. I’ve not only had the opportunity to go to graduate school for free but also the opportunity to work alongside and network with people from an amazing company and other people within GEM who have helped me develop technically and professionally. These opportunities have helped propel me to heights that I thought wouldn’t be possible until later in my life, and I’m very grateful!

What do you hope to bring back to academic life from Cadence?
I hope to bring back my newfound professional knowledge, technical knowledge, and further polished soft skills from this internship and apply them to the research for my Master’s thesis I’ll be starting this coming fall.

What are your plans post-graduation?
I want to find a worthwhile computer engineering job that correlates to GPU, SoC, motherboard, or general ASIC design. I also want to learn some more technical and financial skills so I can work toward becoming an entrepreneur.

Rosemary Nwosu-Ihueze, University of Kentucky

Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science with an expected graduation date in the Fall of 2023, Rosemary hopes to build an exciting user experience career in the human-computer interaction industry.

What do you hope to bring back to academic life from Cadence?
How not to complicate problem-solving!

How has being a GEM Fellow impacted you?
Meeting new people and the resolve to continue to graduate studies.

Why did you decide to intern at Cadence?
I decided to intern at Cadence after my interview with my current mentor (supervisor). The first impression was awesome!

Carlos Ayala Bellido, Stanford University

Beginning a new chapter at Stanford University this fall, Carlos will be propelling himself toward a Master’s of Science in computational and mathematical engineering, planning to graduate in 2024. He is excited to take with him a deeper understanding of corporate culture and a new facet of experience that can be applied, wholeheartedly, during his upcoming academic tenure and beyond.

What has been the most exciting part of your internship at Cadence?
The most exciting part of my internship at Cadence is challenging myself by learning a new language and a new type of programming style. The work I’ve done with SystemVerilog and scripting is not something I have really ever done in the past, and it’s taken work to get adjusted to it. For that same reason, it’s been exciting because it means I’m trying out new things and working towards new skills, especially knowing that this all culminates in work towards a project which could improve the quality of certain Cadence products.

What are your plans post-graduation?
After graduation, I plan to take a break from education for a bit and work on my software engineering career, potentially going into product management once I feel like I have sufficient experience. I would like to consider pursuing another Master’s degree or even a PhD, but I want to at least get the chance to explore my options and how I feel about industry work before considering academia.

How has being a GEM Fellow impacted you?
Being a GEM Fellow has greatly impacted me because, prior to that, I had not considered graduate studies as an option. Even as I applied to some graduate programs in the fall, I did so more out of a promise to myself to see what my options could be rather than what I realistically had access to. Graduate studies were financially out of my reach, so to hear that I would be a GEM Fellow suddenly made me realize I could consider these schools and pushed me towards my decision to place my full-time career on hold.

Euler Valdiviseo, The Ohio State University

Targeting a 2027 graduation, Euler will enter his PhD program in electrical engineering at The Ohio State University this Fall. Post-graduation, Euler is motivated to join a company like Cadence where he can develop technologies that improve quality of life and help those who need it the most.

How has being a GEM Fellow impacted you?
The GEM Scholarship Program has allowed me to gain valuable work experience and skills through my internship at Cadence. It has also provided me with an academic year fellowship, which will allow me to afford my education. Receiving the GEM scholarship told me that I am seen as someone who has the ability to contribute to the future of our society. It brought me one step closer to achieving my goals.

Why did you decide to intern at Cadence?
I decided to intern at Cadence because it is a pivotal leader in electronic system design, which is an interest of mine. I was very excited to work in a company whose customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering fascinating electronic products to different markets, such as automotive and aerospace.

What has been the most exciting part of your internship at Cadence?
The most exciting part of my internship at Cadence has been learning new things, such as implementing a design with the RTL-to-GDSII flow and functional safety. In addition, it has been fascinating to be able to work with people who have the same goal as I do, which is to be able to help develop technologies that will help society.