Student Profile – Khin San
Khin Kyawt Kyawt San is a senior majoring in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Computer Network System Management and a minor in Business. Khin and her family immigrated to the United States from Yangon, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) nearly five years ago, a move that morphed her life journey.
Her father, an electronics engineer, and her mother, a mechanical engineer, inspired her to explore the field. “Becoming an engineer has always been my dream,” she shares. Encouraged by her parents to understand how things work, she developed an early curiosity for technology that has only grown since then.
As the first in her family to attend an American university, she led by example, and not only navigated her own application process but also guided her younger sister to explore college majors and prepare for AP courses.
Khin’s first internship was with Straight Up Technologies as a Cisco Network Academy Dream Team intern, where she participated in the Trailblazer TDX Salesforce event. Thanks to this opportunity and lecturer Richard Grogetut’s support, she made valuable connections and now works as a Network Technician on major events like Knowledge 2024, Dreamforce 2024, and Salesforce Company Kickoff 2024. Her role involves setting up and configuring network devices, troubleshooting with senior engineers, and ensuring smooth event operations. Khin was also a Technical Support Engineer Intern at Verkada, where she addressed complex customer environments, collaborated with engineers to resolve bugs, and provided feedback for product improvements.
On campus, she is the president of the Network Engineering Technology Society, a student organization that provides her with a supportive community and valuable industry connections. “Networking and making connections have been key to my growth,” she says, encouraging students to engage with peers, professors, and professional networks.
Since she started college as a freshman during the pandemic, Khin struggled to connect with others and stay focused on online classes. By joining student organizations and attending virtual events, she has built a support network that helped her overcome these hurdles. “Reach out and get involved! Connections make all the difference,” advice she shares with similar strugglers.
For internship advice, Khin emphasizes the importance of curiosity and persistence, crediting much of her success to this factor. Khin’s hard work has already paid off: she will join Verkada full-time as a Technical Support Engineer after graduation, a role she secured after excelling as an intern. “I’m truly grateful for this opportunity,” she says.
As Khin Kyawt Kyawt San prepares to close this chapter of her life, a new chapter is waiting for her to explore, and no doubt she will persevere through hard work, dedication, and being the community for people as she found her community here at San José State University.
Day of Giving
We’re excited to announce that applications are open to participate in SJSU’s Day of Giving 2025! This virtual event will run for 1857 minutes from March 11-12, 2025, honoring our founding year, 1857. It invites students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and family to join in collective generosity to support SJSU.
What is the Day of Giving?
SJSU’s Day of Giving unites the Spartan community to raise funds for impactful campus initiatives, including special projects, student organizations, academic initiatives, and athletics. This annual event spotlights the programs that make a difference and empowers groups to create crowdfunding campaigns that elevate visibility and support for the causes that matter most to them and to the university. Join us in making a lasting impact!
Ready to Apply?
If you’re part of a department, student group, or campus initiative, this is your chance to inspire support from alumni, faculty, students, staff, and friends!
To get started, gather your details for the 2025 Application Form and submit it by December 16. First-time participants, feel free to explore 2024 projects for ideas and inspiration.
Application Deadline: December 16, 2024
Event Dates: March 11-12, 2025
Let’s make an impact together for SJSU students, faculty, and staff!
Questions? Contact crowdfunding@sjsu.edu.
December Holidays
While Christmas is widely celebrated in December, many other holidays bring people together during the season. Across different cultures, religions, and traditions, people around the world observe a variety of holidays that reflect their unique histories and values at the end of the year. Exploring these traditions offers a richer understanding of how communities celebrate and connect.
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, commemorates the Maccabean revolt against the Greek-Syrian empire and the rededication of the Jewish Holy Temple. Celebrated over eight days, beginning on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, featuring the lighting of a special menorah called a Hanukiah. Traditions include eating oil-based foods like latkes and sufganiyot, exchanging gifts, and playing dreidel.
Yule, celebrated on the winter solstice, originated with Pagan and Norse communities as a festival honoring the rebirth of the sun and the turning of seasons. Traditions include bonfires, feasting, drinking, and storytelling, many of which influenced Christmas customs, such as the Yule log and mistletoe.
Kwanzaa, celebrated from December 26th to January 1st, is a cultural holiday honoring African-American and pan-African heritage. Rooted in the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles), it emphasizes unity, self-determination, and creativity. Celebrations include lighting a seven-arm candelabra, feasting, dancing, storytelling, and exchanging gifts.
Bodhi Day, observed on December 8th, marks Siddhartha Gautama’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, leading to the founding principles of Buddhism. Buddhists commemorate through meditation, decorating ficus trees with lights and ornaments, and enjoying tea and cake with loved ones to symbolize unity and enlightenment.
World’s Fastest Supercomputer Conducting ‘Virtual Manhattan Project’ to Test Nukes – Featuring Prof. Ahmed Banafa
A groundbreaking new supercomputer, El Capitan, has set the record as the world’s fastest, with 2.79 quadrillion calculations per second. Some worry about its potential to crack blockchain encryption, Professor Banafa cautions that the blockchain industry might be overlooking risks posed by future quantum computing. As quantum computing emerges, the urgency to prepare for its threats is growing.