Mark-Anthony Delva, a senior at Florida International University (FIU), is preparing to complete his degree in computer science at the College of Engineering and Computing. Delva first visited FIU as a high school student and was immediately drawn to the campus environment.
“We explored every corner of the campus. I loved it,” Delva said. “It was like a buzz of electricity. As we walked through GC, seeing students everywhere, hearing conversations, I felt an immediate sense of community. That stood out to me because at other schools I visited, it felt quiet and disconnected, but here I felt like I could belong. I felt like this was already home.”
Delva transferred to FIU after starting his college studies at Palm Beach State College. At FIU, he engaged with several organizations including INIT, the National Society of Black Engineers, FIU Tech Talent Academy, and Break Through Tech.
“I can’t give credit to just one event or group,” he said. “My coursework gave me valuable skills and organizations like INIT, the National Society of Black Engineers, the FIU Tech Talent Academy and Break Through Tech gave me hands-on experience and made me part of a community that wanted to see everyone succeed.”
He credits involvement in programs such as CodePath for helping him develop both technical expertise and communication skills needed for teamwork in computer science.
“The soft skills in computer science can be overlooked,” Delva said. “Learning to communicate with a team, report to a project manager and understand and embrace others’ ideas is critical. CodePath also helped with interviews, breaking down a problem into digestible sizes.”
Delva participated in Break Through Tech’s Sprinternship program with the Village of Palmetto Bay’s IT department alongside other FIU students.
He also interned with the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), where he worked on research analyzing social media behavior related to the bystander effect—the tendency for individuals not to intervene or report issues if others are present.
“I got to work with a really big team that was looking for ways to analyze social media behavior to combat the bystander affect,” Delva said.
Reflecting on his connection to this topic due to being in high school during the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting tragedy, Delva added: “I went to a different school, but everyone knew someone from there. I wanted to work on something that might help prevent tragedies like this from happening again.”
During his internship at ABC Fitness Insights Team as a software engineer intern, Anthony Zaatar noted: “Mark-Anthony’s ambition and drive set him apart from the start,” Zaatar said. “In his role as a software engineer intern, he excelled quickly, learning, adapting and seeking out knowledge well beyond what was required. That constant curiosity and dedication to self-improvement will continue to make him stand out and excel in any environment.”
Delva has supported fellow students through resume reviews and encourages participation in meaningful campus organizations.
Looking ahead, Delva plans further study: “I love exploring different avenues, and FIU has given me the ability to do that. I plan to come back to school to earn my master’s degree in machine learning and AI in order to pursue a career as a machine learning engineer.”
