Landry Kezebou has always been intrigued by machine learning. In 2020, his internship with Oracle gave him a chance to make that passion a career. After completing his PhD, he returned to join our team full-time. Read on to find out why he’s excited to be an Intern Buddy this summer.
Taking the wheel
Landry’s journey to Oracle started on the road from Boston to Niagara Falls. As part of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) e-board at Tufts University, he was part of the drive to help other students make it to the NSBE conference in Niagara.
“I remember driving a van with eight other students from Boston to Niagara, because we didn’t have funds to travel by flight and we wanted to bring as many members as possible,” he recalls. “We had just enough to cover hotel expenses, so we drove in teams of six to eight in three separate vans for almost nine hours straight, just to get to the conference.”
It was that conference that inspired Landry to join Oracle as an intern. “My interaction with the Oracle recruiters was the most memorable. I had lots of questions and they had the patience to answer me to the best of their knowledge,” he tells us.
Machine learning at work
When he got the chance to interview for different teams, Landry took an internship offer from the manager whose projects he connected with most. “I knew Oracle was carrying out ground-breaking experiments integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools to automate their services and improve customer satisfaction,” he explains. “That was very exciting to me, because it aligned with my research interests and experience.”
“When Covid first hit, right before my first internship, I felt so sad that I wasn’t going to have an in-person experience with my team. But thanks to Zoom, my mentor, and my manager, my virtual internship experience was just as productive and rewarding,” he shares.
Landry completed his internship and PhD, then returned to join Oracle full-time. Now he’s a Senior Member of Technical Staff, building advanced recommender systems on the same team where he’d been an intern. “It’s been such an exciting journey for me at Oracle. The best part so far is the connection I’ve built with my team.”
Growing from mentee to mentor
From the beginning, mentorship has made a difference for Landry. “My mentor and managers have been very supportive,” he enthuses. “As a mentee, I learned a lot from my mentor, especially on bridging that gap between school research and industry use cases.”
This summer, he enjoyed being an Intern Buddy and mentor himself, helping new interns find their way at Oracle. “It’s rewarding to be able to pay forward the mentorship that I got during my own internship, and even when I joined full-time,” he shares. “I planned out most of my mentee’s tasks and how to help them integrate into the team.”
Landry is still working hard to help others realize their potential – just like on that first trip to Niagara Falls.
Are you looking for a career with mentors who care? Explore our student and graduate programs and start your success story.
The editorial team is comprised of members of the Oracle Talent Advisory group, with a wide-range of employer branding responsibilities. They partner with employees across Oracle to capture stories that showcase our company, culture and career opportunities, and help candidates envision their #LifeAtOracle.
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