Caroline Kaczmarskyj attends the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she majors in Systems Engineering and Computer Science. During her studies, she has found that she is very passionate about being a developer, which is what led her to become a Software Engineering Intern here at Appian in the summer of 2025. This marks Caroline's second summer at Appian, but this year she is in a different role.
What attracted you to the internship position at Appian in the first place, and why did you return?
When I started researching Appian, it seemed like a great opportunity to tackle real issues. I had an initial phone screening with our internship coordinator from last summer and every single person during the interview process was always saying they stay here for the people. I also love the people. As an intern, everyone during my experience here is always open and willing to pull me into meetings to help me gain exposure. I found that at Appian, you can shape your work to your interests, meaning you are able to explore and try different things in the field you want to pursue in your career. This includes role changing like I did, which includes looking into other areas of the product. Within software engineering, you could switch from data fabric to AI to expand your experience and try new things. The company culture is what drove me to Appian in the first place, and what kept me for a second internship.
Why did you switch roles?
Both roles were fantastic. I didn’t switch out of quality engineering because I didn’t like it, but I enjoyed coding more. Everyone was really supportive of me switching. Additionally, I met with a lot of people and developers, and even some quality engineers who made the same transition to software engineering. During my first internship at Appian, I had several people offer me shadowing opportunities, which I ended up taking advantage of to get the sense of the difference in type of the work I’d be doing. I felt supported and encouraged to grow in my career, whether that be in skill growth or role changes.
How would you describe the company culture?
It’s very supportive with a strong sense of camaraderie. Whether asking for a coffee chat or guidance, I’ve consistently been met with openness and a willingness to help. This creates an impact – especially for an intern. I also felt that my opinion was valued, there aren’t power dynamics and we all gather together to take lunches or short breaks to get to know each other better and form a sense of community.
Tell us about your favorite project or projects:
My favorite project would have to be my current project. They assigned me to work with the other Software Engineering Intern on our team on a feature that was going to be deployed for the 25.4 version. It is captivating to work on this project because we not only have the opportunity to lead the feature, but you see the entire SDLC life cycle, which includes the breakdown of the whole feature, deciding what goes into it, bringing it to life, and making the tickets. This is meaningful and impactful work.
Intern game night (Caroline pictured on the right)!
How have you grown here as an Intern?
My time here has allowed me to gain real-world experiences. This helps with adaptability, especially while I am working on SAIL, which is the app and a proprietary language. I was nervous about the scope as it is a new language for me to learn with a different structure from other languages. With all the resources here at Appian, including the support of my team, I have been able to grasp the language quickly. This experience has allowed me to adapt more.
Over the last two years, Appian has also helped me learn how to be effectively integrated into a team. Coming from school projects, where you are focused on a grade, into a team environment that is focused on trying to make the best product, is a huge difference. Working with many other developers on a variety of tickets has given me perspective on how to better collaborate. The developers I was working with were both trying to help me but also make a good product, and making a good product involves teamwork. Working here is a team effort.
Biggest accomplishment during your time as an Intern?
My biggest accomplishment is from the intern hackathon last summer. I was a quality engineer, so I wasn’t sure about participating because usually only the software engineers participate. I decided to try it because of my interest in becoming a developer. The first couple of days were tough – it was a lot of research and starting from scratch, but I was able to learn from that. We were able to build a feature and work in a six-person team across the week. We won the “People’s Choice Award” for the hackathon.
How has Appian helped shape your network and build your professional career?
The main components are coffee chats and the ability to connect with people across levels, even the occasional founder. I've scheduled meetings with my team members to discuss their journeys, and with employees four levels above me to learn about their career growth. Regardless of their role, every employee has been willing to share their insights. It’s a great networking opportunity not only to get to know them and build connections, but also to get to know their personal experiences and advice.
Advice for those looking to intern at Appian:
Interviews can be stressful, but I say be yourself during the interview process here. Everyone in all of my interviews both years was incredibly pleasant. Interviewers are here to help you and want you to succeed, so they are not giving you trick questions or testing you. What interviewees are looking for is your thought process. They want to get to know you as a person, and I think that was really valuable during my experience.
For advice during your internship, it is a great place to be. There are great people, and every single person I’ve talked to I ask the question of “what has kept you here?” Everyone says “the people.” It sounds cliche when everyone says that, but once you get here, you realize it’s true.
Learn more about internship and campus hiring opportunities at Appian.