We're excited to feature Student Voices, our blog series that brings unique student perspectives to our blog. From academic challenges to tech-driven success stories, hear directly from students about the tools, strategies, and experiences shaping their education. Stay tuned for inspiring insights!
Naweed Yarzada shares his experience interning at Ellucian and the insights he gained.
Before this summer, I never gave much thought to the forms I filled out for college — change of major, transcript requests, and financial aid appeals. They were just part of the process. But interning on the Ellucian Forms team, an extension of Ellucian Experience, opened my eyes to the complexity and purpose behind them. I worked directly on making these forms more accessible and easier to use, especially by connecting them to existing student data.
As I head back to campus, I see student tech in a new light. These behind-the-scenes systems quietly shape our experience, and when they're done right, they remove friction and stress from the student journey. Improving digital forms, enhancing accessibility, and seamlessly connecting data don't just make individual tasks easier; they help create a more inclusive and efficient higher education system that works better for everyone — students, staff, and faculty alike.
Making Student Forms More Accessible and Efficient
At Ellucian, my focus was on web accessibility and improving how student forms interact with data. It might sound simple, but these two areas can make a huge difference in how students navigate critical tasks.
On the accessibility side, I helped audit and improve forms so they worked better for screen readers and followed WCAG guidelines. That included checking HTML structure, improving label clarity, and making sure navigation made sense for users relying on keyboard input or assistive tech. I realized that accessibility isn't just about compliance — it's about inclusion. Every student should be able to complete essential tasks independently, without hitting a wall because of the way something is built.
Then there's data connection. A big part of our work was making sure forms could pull in existing student data automatically, like ID numbers, majors, or program information. This saves time, but more importantly, it cuts down on confusion and input errors. I helped test forms that populated fields dynamically, which made the experience smoother not just for students, but also for the staff processing the information.
Why This Work Matters to Students and University Leaders
For students: You save time, avoid errors, and stay on track.
As a student in the middle of a busy semester, the last thing you want is to deal with clunky systems. You want to get things done fast, especially when deadlines are involved. That's why this work matters. When forms are accessible, accurate, and connected, they don't get in the way of your education. They support it.
For administrators: You process fewer mistakes and support more students with less effort.
I also realized how overlooked this part of the student experience is. Everyone talks about lectures, dorm life, and campus events, but few discuss the essential systems that let you register, request help, or update your information. The better these systems work, the less time everyone spends fighting them.
What I Learned from Working in EdTech
After this internship, I'll never look at an online form the same way. I know how much thought goes into making a single field intuitive, or how careful the team has to be when connecting forms to student records. I saw firsthand how technical decisions affect real students in real situations.
I'm also leaving with a stronger sense of purpose. I used to think of tech work as just coding or solving logic puzzles. Now, I see it as a way to make life easier, fairer, and more efficient for students like me. Working on accessibility especially reminded me that good tech isn't just about functionality — it's about making sure no one gets left out.
How My Internship at Ellucian Impacted Me
My time on Ellucian's Forms team gave me a deeper understanding of how higher ed technology really works — and how it can work better. Improving accessibility and data connection might not be flashy, but it's essential. These changes help real students every day, even if they never realize it. And that's something I'm proud to have been a part of.
