Meet Charles - Machine Learning Developer, SEQTEK

After serving as a translator in India for visitors from Norman, Oklahoma, Charles became intrigued with moving to the U.S. for his university studies. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma before landing a role as a machine learning developer for Tulsa-based software company SEQTEK. Now, he’s pursuing his H-1B renewal and a green card with support from both his employer and the inTulsa Visa Network.

Where are you from, and what led you to Tulsa?

About six or seven years ago, a couple of people from Norman, Oklahoma, came to India for a mission trip. I served as a translator with them for a few days. I had never even heard of Oklahoma before. But my connection with these people grew, and we became close. When I began applying to attend university in the U.S., one of the top choices for me was the University of Oklahoma in Norman, and I got accepted. I started to study telecommunications, which led me to Tulsa where the program is offered, then switched to electrical and computer engineering because it is a broader field.

What type of work do you do?

I work as a machine learning developer at a software company called SEQTEK, which serves many different clients. One project of mine involved identifying faults or anomalies in big oil and gas machines. These machines can cost $500,000 to $1 million to be installed on-site, and you don't want to run them when they’re not working well, because it's further going to damage the equipment. The earlier you detect the problem, the better. One of the patents our company has is for a way to identify the faults in these machines using sound.

Another client I’ve served is a video surveillance company that installs cameras and other detection equipment at oil and gas sites. For that project, I've been working on identifying objects in the videos. They want to know if there is anybody on the field without a hard hat, or if there are vehicles present, or whether a gate is open or closed. We have recently deployed our stuff on a couple of sites, and I'm pretty excited about it.

What do you love most about your role?

Just knowing that what I have worked on is in the field! People are interacting with it, and it adds value to the clients. There's somebody in the field who had no way to know this information before, unless they looked at it all the time, but now they can get notified on an app. I think that’s pretty cool.

How did you get connected with inTulsa’s Visa Network program?

My employer, SEQTEK, applied for my H-1B visa a few years ago, and it was accepted. Now, I have to file for it to be extended, and the company is willing to apply for a green card for me. So, they reached out to different people and looked for different options on how to do this, and that's how the company and I came to know about inTulsa.

What appealed to you about the Visa Network program?

There’s a bit of a story to this. I volunteer with an organization called International Community Outreach, a ministry that works among international students. So, I moved to Tahlequah a couple of years ago to start another chapter at the NSU campus. When I was accepted to the inTulsa Visa Network, one of the requirements was that I come back to Tulsa.

I attended one of the events that inTulsa conducted, and it was pretty cool to meet other internationals in the program. I love meeting people from different countries and cultures. One of the strengths of the inTulsa Visa Network is the community that they build. There is a Slack channel that's going on. You can meet people. In general, Tulsa has a very strong community.

What has it been like to move to Tulsa?

I'm originally from the south of India, from a small town a little distance from Hyderabad. There are definitely a lot of cultural things that are quite different. One of my first culture shocks was how many cars there are here and no people walking around. Where I'm from, we don't have that many cars.

For me, what really helped me adapt is my church community. I attend a church called International Christian Assembly of Tulsa. They have helped me a lot while I was settling in. A lot of people just took me into their homes, and I've made some good friends, which helped me a lot in getting to know American culture. Also, while studying at OU, the International Student Ministry started on my campus, and that was a huge help for me. It helped me to connect with a lot of people.

What do you enjoy most about living in Tulsa?

It’s very community-oriented here, and I've definitely learned so much about how to be part of a community. I’ve learned how you can be a person who can host things at your home, or open your home to others to just hang out. That's not something I'd done a lot before moving here.

What would you tell people who are thinking about participating in the inTulsa Visa Network?

I would say to be open to going to church, because I feel like it's one of the very integral parts of Tulsa. It’s a faith-based community. You don't have to believe the same way, but just go to connect with people. There are so many ways to explore the city and make connections too. Go and explore as you can, just to build community around you. Participate in the events and dinners that inTulsa hosts. Learn about the city and its history. That will help you to actually connect with Tulsa, not just live in Tulsa.