STEM Career Profile: Elroy Ashtian Jr, Intel


eaj_headshot

 

 


Elroy Ashtian, Jr

Software Engineer
Intel

iUrban Teen Council Member

 

STEM Career Profile for this month is Elroy Ashtian, Jr. It’s an honor to highlight Elroy for the month of February, Black History Month. Not only are we proud of his accomplishments, but also his involvement with iUrban Teen. He’s been a pivotal part of the program since its inception. His dedication to STEM and to our youth is stellar and speaks volumes of his character. We thank you Elroy

1) What is your current role and Intel and what does it entail?

My current role at Intel is a software engineer within the Software and Services Group supporting Intel XDK and Intel XDK IoT Edition. Intel XDK is a software development environment for developing hybrid HTML5 mobile applications for various mobile devices as well as applications for Intel development boards such as Intel Edison. My responsibilities on my team are to define product features, speak at conferences, write documentation and develop software applications as well as support customers.

2) What’s your background and how did it lead you to what you’re currently doing?

I was born and raised in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. My parents are an elementary school teacher and a small business owner. When I was in middle school, my parents bought us our first computer which was a Compaq Presario. I wasn’t exposed to them until that point, but it fascinated me how a machine in a white case could do so much. I actually opened the case out of curiosity and became captivated with the chips, modules and just about everything on the motherboard. This sparked my interest in computer technology. With my family’s encouragement, I obtained a degree in computer engineering at the University of Central Florida and the rest is history.

3) What advice would you give our teens about being an engineer?

If you are interested in becoming an engineer, I recommend that you do plenty of research on the particular discipline that interests you and even find a mentor. Being an engineer involves more than just having the technical knowledge, it includes being highly motivated, and a team player.

 4) What interests you about involved with iUrban Teen?

My involvement in iUrban Teen came out of my strong desire to contribute in a meaningful way to the community that I live in. Growing up in the Virgin Islands, I never had the opportunity to engage with or learn from an engineer and that’s why I volunteer so that I can inspire the next generation of engineers and professionals.

 5) What do you like to do when not focusing on Intel or iUrban Teen? A few of my personal hobbies include driving go-karts, taking trips to various cities on the Oregon coast especially Lincoln City to see whales and snowboarding at Mt. Hood.

 Elroy with youth

Share