How a Chance Click on Handshake Opened Doors Katera Didn’t Know Existed

Background & Introduction to City Tutors
While pursuing her second degree in computer science at York College, Katera McKay was clear on her goal: she wanted to work in educational technology and knew networking would be essential. At York, she was involved in the NSF program and regularly connected with Career Services. During a summer job search, they pointed her to Handshake, and that’s where she first encountered The City Tutors.

First Engagement
Her first experience came through a social event at a Manhattan bar. “I checked the website to make sure it was legitimate,” she recalls. “But I told myself, let me go—you never know, I might meet someone.”

That night stood out. “People actively wanted to get to know each other… they wanted to ask about your experience and your life. I’d been to events before, like hackathons, where no one really wanted to connect that way.”

Deepening Involvement
Encouraged by the sense of community, Katera began attending more events, including the City Tutors picnic. Soon, she joined one of the program’s most selective opportunities: an in-person visit to Paramount.

“I almost didn’t go because of a job interview,” she says. “But the interview was rescheduled, so I went, and it was amazing. Paramount is a very established company. To be in the same room with people like Elizabeth Wright, CFO of Streaming, to hear how they think and how technology is part of their work—it was really impactful.”

For her, the experience also carried personal significance. “For a person of color who’s never been in those kinds of environments, it’s nice to see you can work in these spaces, and that people at that level want to learn about you and share advice.”

Mentorship
After Paramount, Katera signed up for one-on-one mentoring and was paired with Aurin Chakravarty, a tech professional. “He’s very flexible: he gave me his phone number, we text, and he gives very detailed feedback,” she says. “If I forget to add something he suggested to my résumé, he’ll remind me. He goes line by line, tells me exactly what to fix, and even suggests web services to improve my development skills. His investment makes me want to show up prepared and not waste his time.”

Impact
Before City Tutors, Katera believed high-value networking came with a cost. “I thought you had to pay maybe $100 to go to a networking event,” she says. “But here, it’s free, and the people genuinely want to help you.”

She says the program gave her more than just professional contacts. “It makes me more hopeful about what I can do with myself. For years I wanted to do computer science but had no one to talk to about it. Now I have people who’ve been there, who can tell me what it takes and make me believe it’s possible.”

Katera continues to meet with Aurin and attend events, carrying forward both the skills and the relationships she’s built through City Tutors.