Software Engineer Intern (Part-Time, Remote)
Apulza • Remote • Unpaid internship
About Apulza
Apulza is an early-stage, student-founded startup building an AI-powered support platform for college students. Many of our users have ADHD, anxiety, depression, or other conditions that make the usual study tools harder to use. So we design everything to reduce overwhelm, support time management, and never shame anyone for falling behind. Counselors use Apulza too, to stay connected with the students they support.
We’re a small team, so your work ships to real users.
What you’ll work on
We work in weekly sprints. You’ll take on tasks each sprint and see them through from start to merged pull request, with support from the team along the way. As you get comfortable, you can own entire features and pitch your own ideas for improving the product. If you notice something students would find useful, we want to hear it.
Typical work includes
Building and polishing features in our React / Next.js web app (TypeScript, Tailwind)
Working on our React Native (Expo) mobile app
Connecting the frontend to our FastAPI (Python) backend and PostgreSQL database, and occasionally working on the backend itself
Writing tests for your changes (Vitest and Playwright on the frontend, pytest on the backend)
Fixing bugs, improving accessibility, and making the product faster and easier to use
Responding to code review on your pull requests
What we’re looking for
Experience with React. This is the main thing: class projects and personal projects count.
Comfort with JavaScript or TypeScript
Basic Git and GitHub skills (branches, pull requests)
Willingness to ask questions, and comfort sharing your own ideas
Interest in accessible, people-centered software
Nice to have (not required)
Next.js, React Native, or Tailwind
Python or any backend experience
Docker (our local dev setup runs on it)
Experience working in agile sprints
Personal interest in mental health, neurodiversity, or education. If you have lived experience with ADHD or similar, you’ll understand our users well, and we’d love to hear from you.
What you’ll gain
Real, shipped work for your portfolio and résumé, including features you designed yourself
Experience with a professional workflow: sprints, pull requests, code review, and automated tests
Mentorship from the founding team
Academic credit, if your school offers it
Details
Type: Unpaid, part-time internship
Hours: About 10 hours/week, flexible. Fewer is fine during busy weeks; we know school comes first.
Start: November 2026
Duration: Through February 2027, with the possibility of extending
Future opportunities: If the company grows, interns who’ve been a great fit may be considered for paid roles.
Location: Fully remote (US/EU time zones preferred)
Tools: GitHub and Docker