At SAP NS2, our people are who we are. They influence and shape the way we work, the problems we solve, as well as the products and solutions we create. Everything we do comes back to the people who work for our company. We’re featuring their stories in our blog series “Life at NS2” to share how they ended up calling NS2 home.
Meet Maria Coleman, Support Engineer
Maria Coleman joined NS2 in January of this year. Born and raised in West Chester, PA, Maria interned with NS2 three summers in a row while attending Johns Hopkins University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Computer Science, and then a master’s degree in Robotics.
Following graduation, she was quickly invited to join NS2 as a Full-Stack Developer.
“After my first summer internship at NS2, I loved it. And then I just kept coming back! My mentor, Ngoc Nguyen, was really great, the location was perfect, and it made me sad to think about leaving. It was an easy decision to stay on full time.”
Love at First Program
When asked if she always knew she wanted to work in technology, she pointed out that her love of science started at an early age, thanks in large part to her dad, who studied physics.
“My dad was an engineer who had his own technology company. I was always around what he was doing, but also was really inspired, too.”
A LEGO Mindstorm competition in elementary school was Maria’s first venture into robotics and it was love at first program.
“I loved it so much. I programmed my robot to hold a duster and dust around the baseboards in the kitchen. Let’s just say, I’m a big fan of the Roomba!”
Joining NS2
As a Support Engineer at NS2, Maria’s time is focused primarily on building custom applications, both for internal use and for NS2 customers.
“My favorite part of the job is the development aspect. Whether it’s by myself or with a coworker, I really enjoy just coding the whole day. Either that or when we’re starting a new project and we get to draw up our ideas on a whiteboard. That’s really fun as well.”
Regarding the best thing about being a woman working in technology, Maria explained how her gender and age had its pros and cons.
“Some people expect less from me or other woman in tech. So, when we work hard and do well, I think it’s even more impressive and can leave a lasting mark. Even though I’ve had mostly positive experiences being a woman in tech, sometimes it’s my age that’s most noticeable.”
“In school, half my computer science classes were filled with women. But with mechanical engineering, it was more like 5 out of 50. As someone that’s always been interested in technology, I hope more women realize they can succeed in this field.”
As for how working for NS2 has changed her life, Maria expressed how thankful she truly is.
“I’m really thankful for my entire experience at NS2 and for my manager initially choosing me for the internship a few years ago. I’m just about to buy and move in to my first home with my boyfriend and that’s mainly possible because I started at NS2 so early.”
Advice for Young Talent
Speaking of starting early, Maria also had some solid advice for young talent looking to work at NS2.
“I would definitely say if you’re a shy person like I am, to force yourself to be less shy and go out of your way to make conversations with other people. Also, stand up for yourself—know the quality of the work you’re doing and your worth.”
“The most important thing to starting your career, is to get an internship at a place that you’re interested in working. An internship is a great way to get your foot in the door and impress everyone so that when a full-time position opens up, you’re ahead of the game.”
Learn more about our culture and careers at https://www.sapns2.com/company/careers
