When Nasaiah Algarin, SOC/BA ’27, applied for an Apple internship on a whim last summer, he treated it as a total long shot. It was one of about 50 applications he cast into the digital void, assuming a tech titan would never look twice.

“It was just for fun,” Algarin said. “When you apply to somewhere like Apple, you think, ‘Well, they’re not going to reach out to me.’”

He was wrong. Following a rigorous hiring process, Algarin was selected as the sole Community Education Initiative (CEI) intern on his team at Apple Park in Cupertino, California.

The achievement marked a defining milestone in a journey that once felt out of reach. As a first-generation college student, boarding a flight across the country was transformative.

“It was truly the most beautiful opportunity to come to California from the East Coast for the first time and see that there’s so much potential for my future,” Algarin said.

Finding his footing in higher education hadn’t always come easily. During his first year at American University—back when he was studying in the School of Public Affairs—an advisor asked if he planned to pursue an internship.

“I looked at him like he was crazy,” Algarin admitted. Internships felt completely out of reach for a first-gen student unfamiliar with the “hidden curriculum” of job searches, networking and professional pipelines.

 

Overwhelmed by navigating an unfamiliar campus culture and questioning his direction, Algarin spent his first two years considering transferring. Instead, he chose to lean in. 

He switched his path to public relations and strategic communications with a minor in education studies, tapped AU’s Career Center for interview preparation and resume reviews, and threw himself into hands-on public service. 

His impulse to bridge communities runs deep.

“My family comes from two islands, Puerto Rico and Cape Verde, on opposite sides of the Atlantic, and I grew up in the US in between the two,” Algarin said. “I work the way I was raised: across languages, audiences, and worlds.”

Before heading to Cupertino, he gained foundational field experience as a strategic communications fellow with the DC State Board of Education, a teaching fellow with Generation Teach, and an instructional support intern at Seminole County Public Schools in his native Orlando, Florida. 

On campus, he served on the Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Council and as president of the School of Communication Undergraduate Council. He also paid forward the support he received during his own internship search by volunteering as an experiential learning leader and student advisory committee member with the Career Center.

“I was a lot more reserved and very scared at first—new people, new places, not sure how they would perceive me,” he said. “Connecting with people and taking that human-centered approach changed everything. Talking to the right people connects you to the right opportunities.”

That relational mindset anchored his summer at Apple Park. Launched in 2019, CEI brings coding, creativity, and career opportunities to learners of all ages across more than 600 communities in nearly 100 countries and regions. Partnering with more than 150 educational organizations, Apple works to advance digital equity by expanding access and technical pathways for Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous communities. 

Tasked with helping to communicate the impact of that work, Algarin found that his dual academic focus at AU proved vital. Public relations taught him audience strategy, messaging, and trust, while education studies pushed him to examine institutional dynamics and learning equity. The intersection of community-based research and advocacy proved so influential that it sparked a new ambition: pursuing a doctorate.

Beyond his day-to-day work, Algarin took every opportunity to learn from colleagues across the company. He scheduled 60 coffee chats with employees, fellow interns, and leaders in different departments to understand how teams collaborate and innovate.

Then there were the serendipitous encounters. Walking back to his office from lunch one afternoon, he passed an unassuming executive in the hallway.

“He said, ‘Hi, I hope you’re having a good day,’” Algarin said. Only after the brief exchange did he realize he had just crossed paths with then-Apple CEO Tim Cook.

To date, Algarin has accumulated roughly 12 academic credits through experiential learning, pairing AU’s internship credit framework with professional opportunities. Now in his senior year, he spends time mentoring first-year students and talking to prospective Eagles about aiming high and finding community.

“Realistically, you’re not going to meet every single requirement on a job listing,” Algarin said. “Put yourself out there, build those relationships, and just apply. You never know where it’s going to take you.”