Testimonials

Alisa Prathnadi

UX Engineer II @ Ciena

You’ve been a real joy to have around, and not only because you’re a bright mind and hard worker, but because you bring a great energy to the team that we didn’t have before. As far as interns go, you are the one who we’ve had go the furthest into being hands-on on real projects. This is because it was abundantly clear that you are able to think about things with a fresh perspective AND ask questions and challenge us, something other interns tend to find intimidating to do. You’ve really approached your internship with a desire to learn, and that meant a lot of asking “why” which helped us in turn to explain and understand our own decisions. You’ve been willing to tackle anything we’ve thrown at you, and you’ve shown a ton of grit despite the overwhelming amount of information you’ve been fed these last 6 months.

Aditya Hadkar

Lead Engineer @ Ciena

Thao, your contribution to everything we’ve worked on has been so influential. You have amazing listening skills and patience. I’m truly impressed by your ability to learn so much about the business in such a short amount of time. Your ability to reason and ask the right questions is truly instrumental to the work we do. You’ve made a huge impact on my work style. Keeping my fingers crossed that we get work together again.

Niel Yu

Lead Designer @ Ciena

You are incredibly detail-oriented, which is a rare and valuable skill. Your ability to think critically and approach problems thoughtfully is impressive, and it shows in the quality of your work. Additionally, your fast learning ability sets you apart and allows you to adapt quickly to new challenges. You always ask good questions and challenge me to think more from different angles. It’s a pleasure to have you on our team as an intern. You’ve done a fantastic job providing support, learning fast, and stepping up to take on new challenges. Your curiosity and willingness to dive in make a real impact. Thank you for everything you’ve contributed — keep up the great work!

Jessie Lopez

Designer @ Ciena

Thao, Watching your journey during this internship has been an absolute pleasure. You came in curious and eager, and week by week you’ve grown into a confident, thoughtful member of the team—someone who knows their voice and uses it with care. You turn feedback into fuel, ask sharp questions, and deliver action items with velocity. What amazes me most isn’t just your talent — it’s your courage and kindness. You step into rooms and calls ready to speak up and share your perspective, and that confidence is something I deeply admire. You’ve inspired me to strive for that same boldness. We’re proud of the impacts you’ve made, and I’m personally inspired by you. As much as you’ve learned from us, we’ve learned from you. Keep that spark — I can’t wait to watch you accomplish next. I know you’re destined for amazing things, and its been an honor to be part of your career journey.

Sonya Thornley

Sr. Experience Architect @ Ciena

Thao’s biggest strengths are: Initiative, Confidence, Ability to handle working on multiple projects at a time, and Collaboration. I really enjoyed working with her.

Katie Parmeson

Manager & Director, UX @ Ciena

Thao, you joined conversations, added your feedback and volunteered for different tasks from the very beginning. Keep up the good work and I hope to work with you again!

Pree Kolari

Professor @ SJSU & SVP design @ Klaviyo

Thao has a really good eye for good design and had developed good taste by observing apps and user behaviours. She consistently seeked feedback from others. She is more of a thinker than a talker and her focus is on learning from others with expertise. This will help both her and the people around her. I am confident that Thao will bring the same level of creativity, rigour and design thinking wherever she goes.