From business cards to banners, Cornell Print Services offers a wide range of graphic and printing products to support the university’s academic and outreach efforts. Despite its strong track record of sales and customer success, the self-sufficient business had not integrated its inventory, labor, and other expenses with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

Summer intern Max Wang ’26, a Computer Science major at Cornell, embraced the integration challenge. “My job was to develop a secure and sustainable data feed from our web-to-print service for our ERP, to automate logging, billing and fulfillment services –an integration that could significantly streamline operations,” said Wang.

Working Independently and Collaboratively

One aspect of the internship that surprised Wang was the level of independence he was given. “The trust shown to an intern inspired me to meet and exceed the expectations of my supervisor and team,” he said.

This autonomy allowed him to discover, propose, and implement solutions, teaching him to balance perseverance with knowing when to ask for help. When he realized his time and tech stack limitations might not yield the kind of effective and sustainable results he had in mind, Wang sought insight from the Student Services IT staff. Working closely with that team, Wang migrated the infrastructure to a cloud service, reducing bandwidth and ensuring the continual maintenance of the data feed for a more sustainable and lightweight solution for the data feed.

He also appreciated the hospitality and collaborative culture of the print and retail service teams. His experience during Alumni Reunion weekend, where he assisted with retail services, further expanded his perspective. “Working in retail services allowed me to see firsthand the larger Cornell Retail Service team in action and hone professional skills such as effective communication,” he said.

Tips for Future Interns

Wang discovered his summer opportunity and other roles offered through the Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion Student Internship Program. For students interested in pursuing an ADI internship, Wang advises seeking roles that align with current interests and qualifications, then exploring opportunities that introduce new technologies and skills. He also recommends keeping a daily log and writing weekly summaries to capture accomplishments and stay aligned with the project’s bigger picture.