The Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (UseIT) internship is a team-based undergraduate research program run by the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) at its lead institution, the University of Southern California (USC). Interns get hands-on experience developing technical tools to communicate important earthquake science concepts. UseIT interns are mentored by several of the nation's most forward-thinking earthquake and computer scientists. Since 2002, the UseIT program has built a community of over 250 alumni from more than 40 colleges and universities. A key aspect of the UseIT program is its flexible, yet structured, multi-disciplinary team approach. Students share their diverse skills and interests, creating a powerful synergy through this peer mentoring. The majority of UseIT interns have considerable computer science skill or aptitude, but successful UseIT interns have hailed from nearly three dozen disciplines, all class levels, and all skill levels. Successful UseIT interns have in common a willingness to step outside their comfort zones and try new things.