The front-end team at Amazon Web Services that Northeastern University senior Shubh Thorat collaborated with needed tools to handle large-scale code and codebase changes.
So Thorat developed an internal AI-driven application that helps automate complex workflows across large codebases, especially tasks that require a lot of manual effort.
The computer science major spent several months last year developing an AI-driven migration system that has proven successful. In fact, it was so successful that it’s not only still in use today, but it also earned him a full-time role at AWS, which he will take up after graduation later this month.
“The goal was to make these processes more efficient and scalable by leveraging AI to assist with code translation, integration, and system-wide coordination,” he said. “This allows our team to move faster and focus on higher-level design and decision-making rather than repetitive tasks.”
Thorat, who is relocating to New York City and will start his new role at AWS in May, said he has been encouraged to make the most of his co-op skills.
“My mentor[at AWS]always told me one thing, and I think that’s how he worked, too. He said, ‘I don’t want you to do a project that won’t be used after you leave. I want to take this from you tomorrow and make it relevant enough that you can make it professional and use it internally,'” Thorat said.
Khang Ho, a software engineer at AWS, served as Thorat’s mentor. He said Thorat stood out among his colleagues as a problem solver, particularly as it related to AI.
“Personally, with AI growing so rapidly, I believe that while AI will become better at coding, the problem-solving skills of engineers will be more important than ever,” Ho said in a text. “Shubh has demonstrated very strong positive problem-solving skills.”
One of the biggest challenges he faced with AWS was the scale of the system and the high level of integration of AI into the workflow.
Initially overwhelmed, Thorat leveraged AI to explore the codebase, understand how the system was working, and gain context.
“Combined with guidance from my mentors and team, I was able to grow quickly and meaningfully contribute to complex operational level projects,” says Thorat.
Thorat also used AI to land a collaborative role at AWS, which he described as a top technology company. He leveraged university resources, including AI tools like Claude, to tailor his job applications, build a strategic Northeast network, and gain an edge in a competitive job market.
Before founding the co-op on AWS, Thorat had other experience opportunities with AI. He built an AI-powered scheduling app at a university hackathon and then secured an opportunity to develop flight analytics tools at PwC in Mumbai.
Northeastern’s experiential learning program and focus on AI equipped him to succeed on AWS. He not only learned technical skills, but also how to effectively use AI as part of the development workflow.
“Northeastern’s Co-op program gave me real-world experience working on production systems and collaborating on a team, which played a key role in preparing me for AWS,” he said. “Academically, I was exposed to AI concepts, system design, and hands-on experimentation.”
