A Rising BEYA Star and Top Tech Employers

BEYA STEM Conference career fairs bring together some of the nation's most admired employers with rising stars in technology, engineering, and science talent.

David Hill, 19, just happens to have worked or interned with at least six of them.

Hill has contributed to research on small space satellite security software funded by the Leidos Corporation.

He has worked for Corning Inc., the biggest glass company in the world, as a software engineering intern; and for the large conglomerate United Technologies.

At Cisco, Hill worked as an engineering intern in worldwide sales.

Hill has also taken part in an Internet of Things and data provenance research, funded by the National Science Foundation.

A dual-enrolled college student in high school, Hill was able to transfer 42 credits and enter Howard University at sixteen.

He continues to maintain an exceptional academic performance, earning a GPA of 4.0 last semester and is planning to graduate in 2018.

Hill also volunteers his talents to teach programming to middle school students in Washington D.C. He was a key supporter in the launch of a local technology innovation hub, In3 DC, which aims to close the technology inequality gap for area students and citizens.

"Being different meant spending my adolescent summers learning college math and dedicating free time to advancing my STEM education," Hill said in his acceptance of the 2018 Student Leadership award at BEYA. "To be a great engineer you must not let the fear of being a different stand in your way," he said.

For rest and relaxation, Hill loves to ride bikes, venture to new places, and listen to his Kendrick Lamar.

BEYA student leadership awards recognize an undergraduate or graduate student with creative verve and an accomplished academic record. The nominee should have inspiring grades and a proven desire to help others to succeed. Awards are granted separately for student leadership as undergraduates and as graduate students.