DSU grad gets a piece of Apple

Deshaun Crawford is still on eastern time, but not for long.

The 23-year-old Lewes resident recently graduated from Delaware State University with a computer and information sciences major and a new job with computer giant, Apple.

With a 3.75 GPA, he also graduated with a Presidential Leadership Award he received at commencement – an award based on extracurricular leadership and academics.

“I was shocked,” the 2012 Cape High grad said.

During his time at DSU, Crawford served as a mentor, a senator in the National Society of Black Engineers, and chaired the college's Computer Science Department Event Planning Committee.

Crawford, 23, said he started college as a criminal justice major, but switched for the challenge of a computer science degree.

“I've always been interested in computers,” he said.

A fan of popular video game Call of Duty because “there's so much going on,” he said, he once considered making video games, but decided on computer software instead.

Two key internships helped him make that decision.

During his college years, he interned at NASA and also at Apple. His experiences at both organizations gave him valuable insight into the computer industry – and software engineering in particular.

At NASA, Crawford worked on a wireless sensor that measured data such as temperature and pressure for spacecraft. Interning at Apple in 2016, he worked on Apple's product-testing team, and most important, earned a full-time position.

Crawford said Apple officials were looking for someone with a strong computer background, but also someone who is a team player and innovative.

“They wanted someone who could think like a software developer,” he said.

Crawford said he credits his time on the Cape High track team for teaching him about teamwork and hard work.

“I learned when you put time into something, it'll pay off,” he said.

Crawford said he flies out to California May 27, and he already has a place to live with another DSU grad who also works in the Silicon Valley computer industry. His commute is a whopping two miles to work, he said, and he looks forward to the great California weather and an end to his East Coast allergies. “When I interned out there, I didn't have allergies at all,” he said.

The newly hired software engineer will work on mobile software for Apple products – specifically for ads.

“I'll help create a platform for ads to pop up,” he said. And while most phone users try to avoid those types of ads at all costs, Crawford said he's found a new appreciation.

“Nowadays ads are useful to me,” he said with a chuckle.