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An Intern’s Story:

When emails went out for students to write reflection stories for the Researcher News, I jumped at the opportunity and just realized I haven’t posted my published story anywhere. So here it is:

An Intern’s Story: A Veteran After Three Summers at Langley

As my third summer as a NASA intern draws to a close, I reflect upon my experiences here.

I think about the lessons I’ve learned, both personal and professional, and a few I haven’t — every summer, as the heat index surpasses 100 and I sweat indelicately, I swear I’ll never return to Virginia and its suffocating humidity.

But the memories of past summers at Langley overrule my desire for dry Utah air (and an even more desperate dream of getting out of the freezing Utah winters is a motivator when I write my application in January).

I remember my first internship, way back in summer 2004 as a high school senior. I was elated to be selected as an intern at NASA, and as I got off the plane in Norfolk (pronounced incorrectly back then), I was incredibly nervous but excited.

That summer marked the beginning of my desire to get out of Utah and do something great. To reach higher, work harder, dream bigger.

Five years and four majors later, I applied on a whim for last summer’s Langley Aerospace Resdearch Summer Scholars program, hoping but not expecting to be selected for another great NASA experience.

To my surprise and excitement, having been hired on for another summer, I dropped down in Norfolk (properly spoken this time) last June, not knowing how much the summer would change me.

Instead of feeling like the NASA employees were much greater than me, with life experiences and college behind them, I met with interns and regular staff who are in the same position as me: ready to graduate and enter the “real world.”

Working a job at NASA wasn’t a “sometime in the future” situation. It is happening now. I got real tasks, gained actual work experience and met all kinds of amazing people.

The other interns taught me about their lives and, by extension, more about myself and my life.

By now, I feel like an old pro. I know that Wednesday is chicken day in the cafeteria. I’m no longer surprised by the planes flying overhead. I speak with authority about local landmarks and center procedures.

I’m heading back home to prepare for my last semester as an undergraduate student at the University of Utah.

Who knows if I’ll be at Langley again?

But the life experiences will be with me for years to come. Just like in past summers, the other interns and mentors I’ve met have influenced me and made me think more about the world and made me want to work harder to achieve as much as I can.

No one is surprised by my desire to go to graduate school or want a career; it’s expected of me and of all of us. These internships are just the beginning of a great future for me. I look forward to taking what I’ve learned at Langley into my life and work.

I’ve become vehement NASA defender to any critic. NASA’s influence has improved society and made me a better person.

And it has made me more appreciative of the glory that is air conditioning.

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oops!

Well, it looks as if the second half of my summer internship was spent not blogging.
I have two excuses for this.
1. I started getting more work-related work done (writing technical papers, etc).
2. I got engaged and began spending all my time blogging/planning for the wedding. The blog for that site can be seen here.

Tonight, however, I’ve added copies of my technical paper in both pdf and html form! I’ve also updated my resumes and portfolio on my main site if you want to check them out. I’m also returning to my regular blog for occasional general-interest rants/updates.