Samantha McDonald

646-795-7132 | smcdonald@gwu.edu | linkedin.com/in/samantha-n-mcdonald/

Education
The George Washington University — University Honors Program 3.97 GPA
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Minor in STEM Education May 2023

Major Coursework: Operating Systems; Software Engineering; Algorithms and Data Structures; Computer
Architecture; Databases; Systems Programming; Ethics in Computing; Software of Handheld Devices;
Foundations of Computing; Discrete Mathematics I & II; Engineering Statistics; Linear Algebra; Calculus II

Technical Skills: Primary Languages: Java, C, Python, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Additional Experience with SQL, Koltin, AWS, Splunk (SPL), MATLAB, Flask, VIM, and GitHub

Awards and Certifications

Splunk: Certified in Fundamentals I, II, and III, additional certification in Advanced Dashboarding
Pearl Hacks 2020: Best Natural Language Processing Hack, awarded by CapTech (the title sponsor)
GWU: Presidential Academic Scholarship (highest level); Karlgaard Scholarship in Computer Science;
Dean’s List (3.75+ GPA) every semester

Work and Leadership Experience

Department of Justice: Cyber Honors Intern (Washington, DC) Summer 2021 - Present
● Created Splunk data queries and visualizations to display on dashboards for a variety of use-cases
● Developed internal monitoring tools with automated scripts to locate system faults and weaknesses
● DOJ Security Clearance granted in June 2021, currently active
College Teaching Assistant (Washington, DC) Spring 2021 - Present
● Learning assistant for CSCI 1311 and CSCI 2312 - Discrete Mathematics I and II
● Taught weekly labs, led individual and group tutoring hours, and aided in classroom instruction
Alpha Omega Epsilon: Professional Sorority (Washington, DC) Fall 2019 - Present
● Philanthropy Chair: organized virtual volunteering events, taught STEM lessons at local schools
● Fundraising Committee: planned and advertised for multiple fundraising events
Women in Computer Science (Washington, DC) Fall 2019 - Present
● Peer Mentor: paired with a first-year student interested in studying CS to provide guidance
● Participated in networking and community outreach programs for female students in CS
Nanny: Multiple Families (Washington, DC; NYC) Fall 2015 - Summer 2021
● Cared for 2-3 children for 3-6 hours per week. Responsible for games, dinner, and bedtime
● Summer 2020: Full-time nanny for a 5 year old boy. Planned daily activities and adventures

Relevant Projects
Mock-University System: Designed and implemented a web platform through tools such as SQL, AWS, and Flask.
Functionality included the ability to create student and advisor users, manage registration, and apply for
graduation. Awarded “Best Overall Functionality” in the Spring 2021 GW Databases Class Hall of Fame
Mental Health Dinos: With a team, used tools such as Twitter’s API and NLP sentiment analysis to plot and
visualize the relationship between COVID-19 and the mental health of people around the globe
The Brainy Bunch Website: Created a website to host podcasts for HONR 2047: The History of Neuroscience

Memberships and Symposia

Member of: GW Robotics (Fall 2019), Society of Women Engineers (SWE) (Fall 2019 - Present), GW
Photo Club (Spring 2020 - Present), Mastercard Mentorship Program (Fall 2020 - Spring 2021)
Attended: Technica 2020 Hackathon, SWE ‘20 Conference, Grace Hopper Conference (2021, GHC scholarship)