Category Archives: Internship Experiences

Alumni on Advanced Certifications and Degrees

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By: Jacob Wilkowsky (Q19)

March 2014:

Flying Back from Spring Break in Barcelona

I knew the CPA lay abruptly ahead. Committed to work in public accounting after graduation, it seemed like there was no alternative. My future employer provided the Becker study materials. My friends in the field either had the accreditation or were well on their way to achieving it. Pursuing the CPA didn’t feel like a decision, but an inevitability. Little did I know it was a slippery slope…

January 2015:

All Smiles in my Grandmother’s Guest Bedroom

Well the CPA didn’t go as planned, but at least I was done. Seven months, hundreds of hours studying, and six attempts later I passed all four sections (FAR, REG, BEC, and AUD). However, even before the results of my final attempt came out, I was registered to take Level I of the CFA in June. This time, the reasons I enrolled weren’t so clear. For certain the ease of the CPA wasn’t a factor—it truly was a miserable experience. However, my education in finance, past experience in valuation, and yada, yada, yada—none of you care.   

Today

I’m gearing up for Level II of the CFA. Facing the deep abyss ahead, I can’t help but wonder how I got here. In the approximately three years since graduation, I’ve lived in five apartments (including my grandmother’s guest bedroom), worked at two firms, and gone on one additional international journey. However, the singular constant has been the unyielding pressure of studying for advanced certifications. At least I can take solace in the knowledge that my obsession with abbreviations is shared by fellow QUEST alumni seeking advanced degrees in science, medicine, law, and business.

Santiago Miret (Q18), PhD student in Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Berkeley

You’re brilliant, we get it. Why get the PhD? Could you gain the same knowledge elsewhere?

One thing that you learn while doing a PhD is how truly not-brilliant you are, but I think that is the case for any challenging work that you do because you get exposed to how much more there is to do and learn. The PhD is very conducive for challenging learning because it is set up for you to explore topics that have never been explored and create new knowledge to share with the world. It may be possible to acquire similar knowledge somewhere else, but it is very difficult to acquire depth outside the environment of the PhD.

Tony Trinh (Q21), medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Since graduating it seems like my friends in Med School have had it the worst in terms of up front investment in their career (grueling workload, financial cost, longest-term payoff). Why do you think there are so many people lining up for the opportunity?

I think what it comes down to is that people in medical school are content to play the long game (and I mean L-O-N-G game). Although both the financial and even psychological costs of medical school are astronomically high, I don’t know a single person in my class who isn’t passionate about medicine. It might sound a bit romantic but I genuinely believe that everyone here has an earnest desire to help their fellow man and are willing to go through what can sometimes seem like hell to do so. Of course there is a financial driving force tied in there but anyone who’s looking for ONLY a quick pay out wouldn’t last a day in medical school. From my perspective of my class and my school, the job comes first and paycheck comes later (much later) but we’re okay with that and wouldn’t you rather have a doctor who looks at you like a patient rather than a source of income?

Matt Sarna (Q19), law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

People say that law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer. Did anything in QUEST help prepare you for this transformation?

Plenty of my peers questioned why a business school QUEST student would be interested in pursuing a law degree. My answer has always been that QUEST does not prepare you to go into a specific field, it prepares you to take a client’s opportunity head-on and develop a synthesized solution that addresses each facet of the issue. That is the foundation of a successful lawyer. Law school teaches you how to take black letter law, ambiguous regulations, and ever-changing political landscapes and massage a client’s needs to fit. It teaches you to keep asking, “What if…” and “Why.”

Richard (Ricky) Wilson (Q6), M.B.A at the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business

[Ricky also has a Masters in Electrical Engineering and Six Sigma Greenbelt]

Based on my friend’s Snapchat, business school is alternating sprints between the library and bar. How true is this interpretation and what was the best lesson you learned as an MBA?

That was not my business school experience, but it can be the experience of some.  It may likely depend upon your background prior to entering business school.  I never spent much time in the library.  Business school was really a lesson on time management, an opportunity for personal and professional development, and an immersion into diversity. The coursework is generally not very challenging for people with analytical backgrounds, but it can be time consuming.  There is a lot of reading and a lot of group assignments.  Besides homework there is recruiting, student groups, building friendships, and definitely going to bars.  It is basically always someone’s birthday, there is always a student group event, there is always a company on campus, and there is always homework to be done.  People have to learn how to manage and prioritize these demands.  The biggest benefit of business school is the relationships you develop, but that can’t be at the expense of finding a job and passing classes.

I’ve also never been in an environment with people having such diverse backgrounds across ethnicities, work experience, recreational interests, travel, country of residence, etc.  It really just exposes you to various opportunities and inspires you to accomplish great things.  It is a chance to try new things and to re-examine what you once considered your boundaries or limitations.

The biggest thing I walked away with was self-awareness.  I learned a lot about how I am perceived, how I behave in various situations, how I can influence those situations, and where I can develop.  Beyond that, I think business school really teaches you to identify an unmet need (sometimes an unknown need) and how to successfully address that opportunity.  It provides tools, resources, and relationships that provide advantages.

Jason Graub (Q17), CPA and Co-founder and CFO at Gameplan

How much thought did you put into getting the CPA? What’s it worth to you now?

In terms of time put into CPA, once I made the decision to go the accounting route ( which I wavered on a few times throughout college) I knew I had to get the CPA in order for it to be worth it. Especially when KPMG would pay for Becker and the tests and I’d get the bonus when I passed.

What’s it worth to me now: Now it’s a nice fall back and provides some credibility on my resume. But I don’t view as something crucial to my long-term success. I’m debating whether to let my active license expire (I’ll probably renew next year through 2019, but since I’m not practicing and don’t see accounting in my long-term future there isn’t much incentive to keep up with the CPE’s, which are a pain).

Bryan Towns (Q7), Six Sigma Blackbelt and Director of Program Management at Abbott

[Bryan is also has a Masters in Product Development Engineering, MBA, and PMP]

The Six Sigma Blackbelt seems like the certification most aligned with QUEST’s core teaching curriculum. Can you talk to the value it’s added to your career?

While applying the Six Sigma methodology in my career, I have realized that it is a natural extension of the QUEST experience.  Systems thinking, an emphasis on data-based decision making, continuous improvement, and even techniques for effective team management are threads that are shared between the QUEST experience and in all variants of the Six Sigma methodology.  Therefore, it is difficult for me to isolate either the Six Sigma certification or QUEST experience as the sole contributor, as they are so intertwined.  As an example, I remember describing the use of a Pugh Matrix, which I had learned in QUEST, in a panel interview to land my first job out of UMD, before even realizing that it was part of the Six Sigma tool kit.  As an engineer, I relied on Designs of Experiments to build robust designs into the products that I developed, and as a Program Manager, I rely on Voice of the Customer techniques to ensure that my teams are aligned with our customers’ unmet needs.   In that sense, both QUEST and Six Sigma have provided me with tools that I have used to solve problems as I have grown in my career.

Ningwei Li (Q20), Investment fellow at T. Rowe Price, CFA level III Candidate

What is the CFA charter?

CFA, chartered financial analyst, is a designation for professionals interested in the field of investment research and portfolio management. Essentially the process requires passing three exams, each requiring about 100 hours or more of preparation, and four years of working experience in the investment industry. Many firms see the CFA designation as a way of showing commitment in the industry as well as a person’s ability to learn. I personally think the CFA exposes a candidate to so much of finance that learning alone is worthwhile. Luckily, I’m currently sponsored by my firm to take the CFA exams. To me, it’s a no brainer that I should pursue the designation.

What question should QUEST students ask themselves when planning to pursue an advanced certification or degree?

Richard (Ricky) Wilson (Q6)

The biggest question to ask is ‘do the benefits outweigh the costs?’  The cost is not just financial, but also the opportunity cost.  What else could you be doing with your time, does this provide you with the most utility, and what will you be able to accomplish that you could not without it (or at a faster pace than without it)?  The financial benefits will be related to supply and demand as well.  People should try to spend some time estimating the future demand, evaluating the future supply, and risk factors that could affect both and thus change the economic value of the decision.

Bryan Towns (Q7)

Be careful to pursue only those certifications that will be the most impactful within your field.  I have had a number of colleagues who had an “alphabet soup” of certifications in their email signature lines, but were not exceptionally strong within any one of their apparent areas of expertise.  Choosing a couple of accreditations that will better help you to serve your organization, customers, and clients is much more valuable than sheer quantity.

Santiago Miret (Q18)

I would suggest to conduct your own research as to what each degree or certification means. Many degrees showcase to the broader audience that you have certain skill sets or certain knowledge, yet there may be other ways to show that you have that skill set or knowledge. Degrees and certifications are often just a tool to help you get somewhere you are striving towards. That being said, it is also important to remain humble and acknowledge how much you truly know so that you don’t overestimate or underestimate yourself.

Jason Graub (Q17)

Students should be asking what are they truly interested in and what will provide them with the most value long-term. For me, I do appreciate the CPA and I think it’s good to have, but if I’d done it again, I would’ve gone a different direction most likely and not gotten it. Especially since it required 150 credits which is a lot to ask for a certification, if you’re not going to be a practicing CPA.  

Tony Trinh (Q21)

How much are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want?

Ningwei Li (Q20)

How will the certification help you reach your goal? I think as a student as well as a young professional, you can learn so much more through your work than pursuing an advanced certification that doesn’t help you reach your goal.

Conclusion:

Thank you guys for participating!

As a student you can often find yourself obsessing over your life after college– I certainly did. However, in all the simulations I ran in my head, I never predicted how dedicated I’d be to advanced degrees in my first two years out of College Park. Whether or not you want to be a doctor, lawyer, business executive, scientist, etc., it is important to do some research and investigate the opportunities for advanced certifications or degrees that may align with your interests. Thanks again to my interviewees for taking the time to share their insight!

 

Hacking the Career Search Process for Students

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By: Jacob Wilkowsky (Q19)

Introduction

October introduces a new chapter for students re-settling into College Park. Presented with a proverbial clean slate, the list of individual goals for Fall Semester 2016 is surely piling up. Aspirations may include a robust social life, stellar academic performance, and personal best athletic achievements. However, the objective for QUEST undergrads is often the same—to secure full-time employment.

The career search process is different for everyone. Students face an infinite set of opportunities depending on their seniority (e.g. Junior, Senior), background (e.g. major, experiences), intended industry (e.g. financial services, healthcare), and desired functional role (e.g. researcher, entrepreneur). The variety of opportunities is often mind-boggling and can leave one struggling to identify a clear path. Resumes, cover letters, applications, career fairs, cold calls, and interviews can inject anxiety into an otherwise amazing time.

I’ll be forthright. I received a B in BMGT367: Career Search Strategies in Business four years ago. I’m no career coach. However, after successfully acquiring a job as a Big 4 auditor and just recently joining FTI Consulting’s Forensic and Litigation Consulting Practice in New York, I have a certain baseline level of confidence in my ability to articulate experiences that could be useful for undergrads. More importantly, I know a pretty impressive group of alumni a year or two out of college willing to provide their insight as well. I hope, by sharing the insights of alumni not too far removed from where you stand today, I leave you feeling more empowered than overwhelmed in your career search process.

Alumni Insights

Q: As a sophomore how clear was your vision of your first one/two years out of college? How close to reality did that vision turn out?

Max Cooper [Q19, Civil Engineering, Unilever—Management Trainee]

About as clear as mud and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I didn’t even know if I wanted to pursue a career within my civil engineering major or something completely different, let alone the typical categories like large vs. small organizations, public vs. private sector, or strategy vs. operations. Luckily, QUEST taught me the benefit of iterative design. I applied this trial and error approach to narrowing down my career interests and gaining access to the opportunities that inspired me most.

By no means did I do it alone. The mentoring program and QUEST-specific electives, like scoping (BMGT/ENES 491), were essential to honing in on my final career path. Ultimately, I pursued supply chain rotational development programs, relying heavily on QUEST corporate partner events to get my foot in the door. After scoping out a 490H project with Unilever and then directly working on that project, I set my sights on the firm for full-time employment due to my interest in their ambitious mission, positive culture, and emphasis on talent development. Since then I have co-oped there, joined their leadership program and am now entering my second rotation, continually having my expectations exceeded with each opportunity.

Following three internships and a co-op at four different companies across many industries, my career vision continued to evolve as I focused in on my true passions with each work experience, as I still do today.

Q: What decisive action/decision did you make/take as a junior that most positively impacted your career?

Praneet Puppala (Q21, Computer Science/Finance, APT—Software Engineer)

Something I did junior year that turned out to be very rewarding was actively explore companies outside those present at career fairs. I searched for UMD alumni at interesting companies around the country, cold called them and tried to not leave any stone unturned. As with most cold calls, I wasn’t expecting many positive responses, but the alumni were very helpful and most of them were willing to at least hop on a call for a quick chat. This, in turn, led to learning about many new exciting opportunities and led to at least a few interviews and a few new contacts!

Alex Wilson (Q22, Finance, Point72—Associate Analyst)

Networking is the most important thing I did my junior year. As college students, we think we can get an idea of our career interests from reading or talking to professors or peers, but those are all secondary sources. I would find people on LinkedIn whose roles I was interested in, contact them and then have conversations about their career. That enabled me to know exactly what I wanted to do for my junior summer internship and for my full-time job afterwards. The information from career fairs and recruiters is more marketing material than anything. Being aggressive and taking control of your career search process is vital to being happy with your career path well after you’ve left college.

Q: What was the career search process like for you your senior year?

Cat Ashley (Q19, Chemical Engineering, Gore—Process Engineer)

My career search entailed ‘putting my eggs in multiple baskets’, as one can derive from the idiom. During my undergrad summers, I completed internships in research-oriented and industrial fields to determine where my interests were post-graduation. I decided to pursue a job rather than continue my studies in graduate school because I enjoyed the engaging, hands-on, application driven nature of working in industry. While my internship experience at W.L. Gore set me up for a full-time job offer, I also submitted applications and attended career fairs/workshops for multiple other companies. This gave me practice interacting with industry representatives, polishing my resume, presenting myself as a viable candidate, and learn more about what the industries are working on. I applied to all sorts of job postings in consulting, engineering, research, project management, etc. in order to see what came back. Following through with the interview process and offer negotiations gave me valuable experience in weighing career options, gaining communication skills (through interviews, emails, phone conversations with reps), and thinking consciously about what the next formative years of my life would entail. As an engineer, I also contemplated the pros and cons of working in consulting or industry, as others had shared that it may be challenging to go back to engineering after working as in consulting for many years. At the end of it all, I received a few serious job offers, and my interests in technical problem-solving combined with my existing network led to me accepting the offer at W.L. Gore. It’s been a little over two years since I started my career here, and it’s been a transformative, challenging, and empowering two years for sure.

Danny (Q19, Computer Science, Booze Allen Hamilton – Senior Consultant)

It was pretty crazy, honestly. I:

  1. Interviewed at ~5 companies
  2. Had to turn down the offer I got from my internship
  3. Was turned down by 3 of them
  4. Wound up going to Dante, which was a connection I made because I was in QUEST. I met the HR manager at a student leaders dinner where I was representing QUEST the year before and when I applied, she remembered me and the process was the easiest.

Q: What was the most difficult moment of your career search as an undergrad?

Max Cooper– Undoubtedly deciding to take a semester off from school in favor of a co-op with Unilever.  At the time, I was very concerned about delaying graduation, altering my course plans, and missing out on a semester with my friends. Not to mention this was a 6 month commitment to a supply chain field that I had never even studied.

When I looked at the larger picture, I realized the immense benefit of having 6 months (which was extended to 9 months) of experience for a company I already knew I identified with through the 490H experience. In retrospect, the co-op reinforced my interest in the company, dynamically challenged me in ways that no class or internship ever had, and unlocked career opportunities that I could not have imagined possible otherwise.

Even if an opportunity remotely interests you during undergrad, I would recommend taking a leap of faith because tenaciously pursuing that interest can lead to discovering your passion like this experience did for me.

Praneet Puppala– Your final job search as an undergrad during your senior year can be daunting. It’s a big transition, and it sounds like such a monumental feat: signing an offer for your first full time job. It seems like you’re signing your life away and you have to go off of such little information, but at the same time, making sure you explore all of your options, do your research and don’t compromise on what you want will help ease some of the concerns and make it an exciting moment!

Cat Ashley– The most challenging part of my career search was determining where my time and energy was best spent (to help me get a job, keep up with school work, and stay). To manage my time, I treated the job application process like a 4-credit class that required my time, effort, and attention for success. I had some security from my internship that I would receive a full-time offer at W.L. Gore after graduation. While I could have simply accepted the offer and eliminated the need for further job searching, I wanted to explore my options and see what other industries, companies, and teams had to offer. With many viable options (and not knowing exactly what companies or job descriptions would pique my interest), I started submitting resumes and cover letters to a whole host of jobs. From that point, I began receiving emails, phone calls, and schedule requests to follow up and continue the process with over five offers at once. This started taking up more of my time than I anticipated and was distracting me from my goal of finding a job that was right for my interests and skills. After this first round and feeling slightly overwhelmed, I learned to be more selective and thorough in applications rather than overly broad and all-encompassing. This also helped me formulate and communicate my interests, skills, and career needs in a more clear and concise manner.

Danny Laurence– The hardest moment was turning down my internship offer. I had to do it pretty early on in the process, which made it extra hard (turning down a sure thing for a hypothetical). It was an okay offer, but I wanted to see what was out there, and also I wasn’t sold on the company I interned with.

Alex Wilson– The most difficult moment of my career search process was during my sophomore year. For my field of interest, there were no great internship opportunities that were a) available to sophomores b) available to UMD students or c) paid. So it was tough to watch peers take paid internships with large companies and have the patience to intern at firms where the perks were non-existent but the learning opportunity had greater alignment with my career path. That deferral ended up working out well for me so it was worth it.

Hacks

In the answers of alumni above you may find undertones reflective of your current emotional state. Hopefully you feel more confident hearing from those on the other side of the journey to full-time employment. While these answers are from a 500 foot view, I want to also hit the “X’s and O’s,” the techniques sure to help you improve your chances of gainful employment in a desired position.

There are a few key steps you can take in your career search process, which I enumerated below:

  1. Get Organized

Create an Excel workbook, buy a binder, or use the backside of a napkin. You need some way to track all the companies, deadlines, and contacts out there. By staying organized, you can pursue many more leads.

  1. Your Resume: It Will Never Be Good Enough

“Make sure your resume is in tip top shape” is probably the most generic advice given to undergrads. However, it’s still true. You can schedule an appointment with the UMD Career Center or attend one of the many employer sponsored workshops.

Pro-tip: Find that one friend in the business fraternity who spent 100 hours on his/her resume as part of pledging. Ask them to help you out.

  1. Build Your Network, Build it Early

In your organizer you should make a list of companies you’re interested in working for and identify positions you’re qualified for. Search LinkedIn, the QUEST Directory, talk to family, and search company websites for individuals you think could be a resource. Send as many emails as possible asking to set up an informational interview and attach your resume. Be ready to be rejected, but make sure to utilize your organizer and know exactly where you are with each contact. Respond quickly when responded to and invest the time (including researching the company and position) to convince these individuals that you’re the awesome QUEST student I know you are. It can take a long time to build trust, so start early!

Pro-tip: I know a QUEST student who sent over 1,000 emails when pursuing a job in finance. He calculated a response rate of 1% after the fact. He now works at Goldman Sachs, so it worked out. Take rejection with class and try not to harass alumni if they aren’t responsive—they’re busy.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article helped quell some of your nerves surrounding the career search process. Your future is uncertain, but that shouldn’t ruin the amazing experience of an undergraduate education. By taking steps to refine your resume, expand your network, and organize your career search process you’ll be a more confident candidate and therefore more likely to find a great job. A big thanks to Max, Praneet, Cat, and Danny for sharing their insights!

QUEST Lab Sponsor of the Month: Bloomberg

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This month’s QUEST Lab Sponsor is Bloomberg, and in order to highlight the value Bloomberg can provide to students, we sat down with Jessie Xu (Q21) to ask her about her experiences as a Bloomberg intern this past summer.

Q: Can you provide a little background on Bloomberg?

A: Bloomberg is a merge between the finance and tech industries. Their main product, the Bloomberg terminal, maintains data on all worldwide markets, stock prices, and financial news and information necessary to help clients make investment decisions. They also provide analytics, tools, and insights to add value to the incredible amount of data the terminal provides.

Q: What was your role with Bloomberg?

A: I interned in Bloomberg’s Princeton, NJ location within the Global Data division which makes Bloomberg the most sought-after data source in the world. The department is divided into various market sectors including Equities, Fixed Income, and Derivatives. I was placed in the Entities group, which is under the Equities department.

My main responsibility was to update and maintain the quality of the entities data on the terminal. However, I also worked on several other unique projects. One of my most memorable projects was one I did with fellow interns, which lasted throughout the course of the internship. We were split into teams of five and tasked with creating a functionality of our choice that would provide value to the Global Data department, with each team assigned a different industry sector to focus on. This project was a great example of principles taught in QUEST applied to real world situations. Through ongoing collaboration with full-time employees in various departments and combining a diverse array of knowledge and skills, we were able to create and present value-adding functionality to the Global Data department.

I recently accepted a full time offer with Bloomberg and am so excited to return next fall!

Q: What will your full-time role be?

A: I will begin my career at Bloomberg as a Market Data Analyst starting off in the Global Data Training Program. The program begins with a three week classroom training on the Bloomberg terminal, financial markets, customer service and the technology that is important to the department. From there, my 20 other peers and I will be on-boarded into our team and be given on-the-job training to learn the skills needed for their role. Team placements are determined by matching your skills, interests, and experiences with the team that would provide the best fit.

Q: Did you enjoy the experience, and would you recommend Bloomberg to other students?

A: Absolutely! I definitely had some reservations going into the internship as I was not sure if this was the sector of the financial industry I wanted to be in. However, I could not have made a better decision. Bloomberg is an extremely strong brand that can have a powerful impact on your personal and professional development. However, it was really more than the brand that made it a worthwhile experience. Bloomberg did a great job providing on-the-job training related to my role and better understanding the financial markets. The experience felt somewhat like a summer camp as I become extremely close to my peers and built many lasting relationships. Outside of our core responsibilities, we also gained exposure to other teams within the department through interactive panels and shadow sessions, attended senior speaker series, participated in community service projects, specialized trainings, and networking events ranging from baseball games to upscale restaurants in New York. Overall, I had an extremely positive experience and it was an honor working with such a talented group of students.

Q: How did your experiences in QUEST tie into your internship?

A: The one thing that is constant at Bloomberg is change. Bloomberg prides itself on finding and implementing creative solutions. Thus, quality enhancement is at the crux of what has kept it ahead of its competitors. Bloomberg is always striving for continuous improvement of the terminal, both with its data and services and the processes that go into creating and maintaining it. The Bloomberg 490H project is a great example. We were working with creating new workflows and translating human labor into technical capabilities. The office environment cultivates a culture of always trying to find better ways of doing things and taking risks on those enhancements.

 

Jessie Xu

Jessie Xu

Consulting In Spanish: Rachel George’s Summer Internship

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By: Rachel George (Q21)

I think consulting is hard enough without having to do it in Spanish.

This summer I had to do just that while interning with the Social Entrepreneur Corps in Ecuador for two months. The program is an arm of Community Enterprise Solutions (CES), a “social impact innovation incubator and implementation organization” with bases in Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Ecuador. The Social Entrepreneur Corps program is CES’s way to bring socially-minded college students into the field to assist them in supporting and growing local businesses, as well as increase access to important items for peoples’ health. While I was there, the twenty-one other interns and I would go out into rural villages for two weeks at a time, where we conducted free eye exams, sold water filters and reading glasses, and worked on deliverables to assist CES’s long-term projects dealing with financial literacy classes and safer, healthier wood stoves. We also met with local businesses and groups to conduct needs analyses and assist them in with various marketing and financial problems.

I struggled a little with my ability to be useful during this trip, as I think almost other interns did. I was especially frustrated with the barrier that often appeared during our needs analyses, when my feeling of “foreignness” and my Spanish level meant that I often missed pieces of information that the client was telling us. How could I possibly understand all the conditions they were dealing with when I was uncomfortable and only understood 75% of their words? If consulting is about finding the solution that nobody’s thought about, I was having trouble grasping the problem in the first place. And I wasn’t the only one. But as the summer went on, living with our host families began to help us get closer to their frame of mind. I began to approach problems not as a student from Maryland, but as an intern living in Ecuador; it was an exercise in connecting, one that I’m always working on.

This summer was a summer of frustrations, of excitement, of good friends and lots of learning. Now that I’m back home, I miss my host mom and sister. I miss saying “que pase bien” as we walk out of a store, and riding in the back of a truck up a freezing mountainside. I miss the juices made of blackberry and guava and strawberry and even cantaloupe. I already want to go back.

My supervisor said something to us on one of our last days in the field. He’s twenty-seven years old and is from Caracas, Venezuela. After we got back that day, I wrote it down as best as I could remember.

 

“If you take nothing else from this trip, if you take nothing from the work or even the program, take the experiences you had here, the people you met and the things they taught you.

This trip is about learning that you have a comfort zone… and there’s a reality outside of it. That there are people struggling to live and support their families and thrive everywhere else in the world.

So do something with these experiences you’ve gained here. Don’t just go back to the US and get an office job and forget about them—or do get an office job, but don’t leave these experiences behind. Do something.”

 

The Internship– Alex March

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Alex March reflecting upon his internship experiences at Google

A staple of the undergraduate summer, internships offer great industry experience and training for students looking to accelerate their career. Many QUESTees enjoy the opportunity, but by the time classes start again the adventure seems a somewhat distant memory. Luckily for Alex March (Q19) though, his internship at Google was captured in this summer’s blockbuster flick, The Internship. For those that haven’t seen The Internship, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, the movie follows two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age and manage to secure a competitive internship at Google.

Initially hearing about The Internship we knew we had to interview Alex. We even fielded questions from the QUEST community, and Alex was kind enough to sit down with us.

The interview is below–

So you saw The Internship, how well does the movie imitate real life?

Google is a definitely more empowering in real life than it is portrayed in the film. From a work standpoint, although Google is a very collaborative and team based environment, it is certainly not as cutthroat as shown in the film. As far as the culture goes, yes Google is that awesome! Although I do not play Quidditch with my team, we are still part of a weekly basketball league. There are guest lecturers and unique events happening on campus every day. It’s like college 2.0!

How did you go about getting your internship at Google?

Getting both of my internships at Google was no easy task. It took a lot of perseverance and countless hours of due diligence on the company. I decided to search for (and reach out to) various Google recruiters, and fortunately had the grades and experiences to back up my application if they got back to me.

What impactful lessons have you learned during your time at Google?

  1. Seek challenging projects (they are all learning experiences)
  2. Meet as many people as possible (everyone is interesting!)
  3. Become a morning person
  4. Over-communicate on everything
  5. Honesty and transparency are the best policies
  6. Never be afraid to ask questions, reach out to someone you do not know, or ask for help

What is your favorite perk at the Google campus?

THE FREE GOURMET FOOD! Just kidding! I would have to say my favorite perk is the high level of transparency that the Google leadership team has with their employees. I feel that this perk is the foundation of making working at Google feel as if you are part of a greater community instead of just working at another nine to five job. The weekly all hands meeting (TGIF) is quite a unique perk that is next to impossible to find at any other company on Google’s scale.

If you had to choose one, which character would you say you most resemble, Billy (Vaugh) or Nick (Wilson) and why?

I would have to go with Nick. I admire his willingness to learn (especially the new technical skills). Plus, he tied the team together, knew how to positively influence his teammates, and was googley!

Do they Really call you guys Nooglers? Can I call you a Noogler from now on?

Yes, for the first week. No.

Soooo, can you grab an extra Google Glass for me on your way back to College Park?

I’m still working on getting myself a pair!

By Jacob Wilkowsky

This Summer, Where in the World is QUEST?

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Article by Alex Bansleben (Q18)

After the completion of yet another academic year, summer provides a much-needed chance to relax, unwind, and escape the normal day-to-day routine. This summer, members of the QUEST community are off to the far ends of the globe to volunteer, embrace different cultures, and enjoy time with family and friends.

Mercedes Valero (Q19):

This summer I’ll be traveling to Europe in August, more specifically London, Amsterdam and Edinburgh. In London, I will be attending various Olympic events and cheering on Team USA! And my family I decided to take the opportunity to visit Amsterdam and Edinburgh as well, two cities I have never visited, so I’m very excited. Besides that, I will be working with high school girls at the Exploring Engineering camp here at UMD as a camp counselor.

 

Chul Kwon (Q18):

On May 19th, I will be leaving for Taiwan with Melinda Song (Cohort 18). We hope to visit their night market and Taipei 101 — the second tallest skyscraper in the world. Two days later, we will rendezvous with Alex Bansleben (Cohort 18) in Bangkok, Thailand! After five days of staying in Bangkok, we will leave for Hanoi, Vietnam, where Olivia Sulaeman (Cohort 19) will join us and travel down to Saigon, or officially, Ho Chi Minh City.

Following my Southeast Asia trip with QUEST will be my internship at GE Capital. I will be working as part of the Information Technology Leadership Program in Danbury, CT. Because of its proximity to New York City, I hope to hang out with some of my QUEST buddies who will also be in the New York metropolitan area.

I will close my summer break with a trip to South Korea, where I will be visiting my old friends, as well as my family and my relatives. I will be coming back to the United States on August 24th!

 

Hannah Henningsgaard (Q17):

This summer, I will be in: Chicago (1 week), Thailand (2 weeks), Bali (1 week), Florida (2 weeks), and road tripping in New Orleans, San Antonia, Austin, New Mexico, California, Montana, Minnesota, and Michigan (5 weeks). I’ve got every day of my summer planned with my family 🙂

 

Dr. Nicole Coomber (QUEST Assistant Director):

I am excited to be traveling with Tony to visit my mother in Florida and spend some time at the beach. We’ll also be heading up to the Catskills for a pig roast with family and friends at the end of June. Other than that, I’m looking forward to some “summer reading” and finally seeing the Hunger Games.

 

Sahil Rahman (Q17):

I will be traveling to Kenya and volunteering with an organization called Volunteer HQ. While volunteering, I will be working on sport development, where you introduce a new sport to the school children. As a result, I will be teaching the kids how to play ultimate frisbee, and will be bringing many discs over to Kenya with me to teach them how to play. Then, I’ll possibly be taking a US road trip when I get back!

 

Val Kravets (Q17):

This summer, I plan to travel to 10 different countries in Europe for a month with another QUEST Cohort 17 member, Tshikuna Muanankese. Also, I will be starting a new job with the Department of Defense after I get back in July.

 

Nelly Desmerattes (Q17):

I will be volunteering and working in Thailand with International Student Volunteers. I will be there for a month working at the Mae Kok foundation with underprivileged children. I will also be touring Thailand and Cambodia. I will be back by early July to start work at Capital One by mid-July!

 

Dr. Joe Bailey (QUEST Executive Director):

I am looking forward to making progress on some work projects as well as some family vacations.  On the work front, I hope to be working on some new material in the 190 class so business students will learn more about technology development and design.  On the family front, my family and I are schedule to go to Nantucket, the Adirondacks, and Montana.  My son, Nicholas, and I hope to do a road trip to see some baseball games (minor and major league) out West.

Summer Jobs and Internships

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Article by Alex Bansleben (Q18)

While some relaxation following final exams is definitely in order, QUEST students know that the summer months are the perfect opportunity to gain some professional experience through jobs and internships. See how some QUESTees are going to put their time to good use this summer!

 

Daniel Gerzhoy (Q17):

I’ve been away since January working at Intel in Folsom California. For the past few months I’ve been testing the newly released IvyBridge Processors from Intel for power and performance data. Working with prototypes from many computer companies and newly fabricated chips makes me excited to go into work every day. And living in northern California isn’t bad either!

 

Cat Ashley (Q19):

With summer rapidly approaching, I couldn’t be more excited for what the next few months have in store. After spending a few days at home, I’ll be relocating up to Elkton, MD for my internship at W.L. Gore (a.k.a. the people who make Goretex and everything else cool). I’m definitely looking forward to working alongside peers and friends at a Fortune 500 company doing chemical engineering-related things. On top of that, I will be attending Bonnarroo in June while volunteering with Engineers Without Borders!

 

Manas Kulkarni (Q18):

I’ll be interning in Unilever’s Marketing department working on Brand Development. The company has several exciting brands in their product line, and while I don’t know yet to which brand l’ve been assigned, I’m looking forward to an incredible experience. Their corporate headquarters is about 20 minutes from New York City, so I plan to live it up in the city as well!

 

Benita Poon (Q19):

I’ll be interning with JP Morgan Chase this summer in their Finance Analyst Development Program in Newark, Delaware. But before that I’ll be heading down to Miami, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Mexico with my family. 🙂

 

Josh Kohn (Q18):

I’m going to be living in my Courtyards apartment and working at Applied Predictive Technologies in Arlington, VA. They are a small software/consulting firm that sells software to businesses that statistically analyzes data and helps the companies to make better data-driven decisions. They’ve done everything from helping Starbucks choose every franchise location since 2004 to Subway developing the Five Dollar Footlong promotion. They have both software and consulting internships and jobs so QUEST students should definitely consider them next year!

 

Liz Blankenhorn (Q18):

This summer, I’ll be working as an intern for Frito-Lay in Aberdeen, Maryland. As a chemical engineering major, food production is one of my main interests and I’m really excited to gain some manufacturing experience as I work in the plant. And of course, I’ll do my best to bring back some free snacks for the QUEST lab.

 

Rochelle Samuel (Q19):

I am going to be interning at the Department of Energy in DC. I received the internship through the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program, and will be working in the Office of Fossil Energy. I was lucky to get it, and plan on incorporating my new-found interest in Environmental Science here. I think it’s a great opportunity (also paid)! The only downfall is that they won’t be paying for my housing so I have to live at home; that will take some getting used to. But I’m still excited!

 

Brendan Fennessy (Q18):

I knew I was going to graduate in the Fall 2012 semester and so this summer became all the more important.   What fascinated me were all the changes I had been making to my life to get through school.  This summer however, I knew I wanted to go on an adventure and get back to myself a little.  It wasn’t until I was at the conclusion of my interview with National Instruments that I realized a great opportunity was about to begin.  When I offered to describe the wonderful program/community of QUEST (what is more appropriate, really?!?) we all cherish, the interviewee, Mark Lewis, shared that he was a proud member of Cohort 2.  I knew there was something special about a company which could hold on to one of our alumni so long.

Austin, Texas was never on my radar for an internship and I wondered what I could make of it.  I quickly learned that Austin is deemed the official “Live Music Capital of the World.” This really grabbed my attention, in addition to learning about the outdoor adventure that Austin offers.  While it was difficult to decide if I wanted to drop everything in Maryland and head out to Texas, the opportunity to experience another perspective was certainly enticing. After talking it through with friends and family (Dr. Bailey included), I decided that this internship could help me understand more of what I want and how to go about achieving it.  I’m really excited to be spending the summer in Austin, TX at National Instruments and can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get back!

“This Winter Break…”

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Article by Jacob Wilkowsky (Q19)

After a long semester capped off by grueling finals, winter break provided some much needed relief to QUEST students ready to let loose. With five weeks to burn, some QUESTers enjoyed the comfort of their couch while others crossed continents. Below are some blurbs from QUEST students describing what they did over break.

Aditya Sridhar – Cohort 19: “I spent the majority of my winter break working for Baltimore Gas and Electric.  My project over the winter was to come up with better ways of displaying the maintenance data over the past 10 years.  Since the company is going through a merger in the next couple of months, my work over the winter/summer should be helpful for business leaders to make decisions about changes in company structure and processes.  I also discovered an interesting Game Theory course in iTunes University taught by a professor at Yale and completed about a third of that course.  The rest of the time, I was either spending it with my family, or hanging out with friends.  Overall, it was a busy winter, but I had a lot of fun!”

Marc Kramer- Cohort 17: “This winter break, I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer in Israel for the Jewish National Fund. We primarily focused on gentrifying the Negev (or desert area) of Israel and making it both more sustainable and livable. About 2/3 of Israel is desert and since Israel is a country about the size of New Jersey, it is important to try to utilize all the land possible. In doing so, we helped to create gardens and drip irrigation systems for farms and picked fruit and painted houses for the less wealthy. It was really rewarding to see the profound impact a small group of college age kids could have while working together toward a common cause. We helped to turn a barren useless area of land in the desert into a livable community with thriving vegetation. Afterwards, I extended my trip and traveled to various parts of Israel such as Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, and Ashdod. It was a really rewarding trip.”

Marc volunteers on his winter break in Israel

Tom Sless- Cohort 19: “I spent my break at home in Baltimore. I worked for a few weeks in Columbia Mall selling calendars. Ask me what the date is!”

Dave Rosen- Cohort 18: “I went home to New Jersey for my break. It was nice to be with my family and see friends. I also spent time in a nursing home near my house volunteering. It was a really rewarding experience and I had a lot of fun.”

Sara Bleistein- Cohort 19: “Over the break, I was pretty busy traveling. I spent a total of 5 days at home in Damascus and the rest of the time abroad. While I was home, I hung out with friends and family and got prepared for my travels. At the end of December, I went to Aruba for a family vacation with my parents, brothers, and grandparents. After coming home for a few days, I left again to spend a day in Los Angeles, California with one of my cousins during my layover on my way toAustralia. I spent two weeks in Australia on a short-term study abroad program through the business school, and it was the most amazing place I have ever been in my life. I was able to play with koalas and kangaroos, climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.”

Mark Leybengrub- Cohort 19: “Over break, I vacationed in Florida with my family. There, I relaxed on the beach, went fishing, and ate a lot of good food. When I came back to Baltimore, I had my wisdom teeth taken out. Wasn’t the most fun experience, but I ate a lot of ice cream.”

Jacob Wilkowsky- Cohort 19: “Over winter break, I mainly relaxed at home and hung out with friends. I also worked for my uncle walking dogs. I walked a lot of cute pooches.”

Aaron Rubenstein- Cohort 19: “This winter break, I enjoyed the first couple weeks by traveling and relaxing.  The highlight was probably New Years in NYC; that was a blast!  For the last few weeks of break, I was privileged to help Dr. Sean Humbert in the Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory in UMD. There, I performed research on the kinematics and control of flapping insect wings, (i.e. we want to figure out how bugs control where they fly!).  I used state of the art film equipment to define important parts of the insect in 3D space and a computer program that analyzed the motion of the wings.  The ultimate goal of the research is to mimic and replicate an insect’s flight control pattern on a micro air vehicle (a.k.a. a small, flying robot bug). It was a very exciting break!”

Summer Recap: Student Internships and Travels

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Internships/Jobs:

Elizabeth Blankenhorn – Cohort 18:
This summer, I interned at a start-up nanotechnology company, XiGo Nanotools, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. XiGo created the Acorn Area, an instrument that uses proton shifts due to changing magnetic fields (NMR spectroscopy) to measure the surface area of nanoparticles. The Acorn Area is revolutionary in this generation of nanotechnology instruments, as it is not only an accurate method to measure a particle’s surface area, but also an efficient one. While old methods can take up to an hour per sample, the Acorn Area can produce results within three to ten minutes. In fact, Instrument Business Outlook has nominated XiGo’s technology for the 2011 industrial design award for laboratory instruments.

XiGo sells the instruments to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and private companies around the world. XiGo also invites potential buyers to send samples to the lab in Bethlehem to be measured on our instrument. It was my job this summer to make surface area measurements of those samples to be sent back to the companies in report format. XiGo uses this opportunity to showcase the instrument’s accuracy to the customer and close sales. I also had the opportunity to assist in demonstrations for investor funding as well as in sales pitches to companies such as L’Oreal.

Chul Kwon – Cohort 18:
My summer has been going great so far. I have been working as an intern at Northrop Grumman Corporation. My team currently is working on a new ambitious information management platform that can process petabytes (1 petabyte = 1,000 terabyte = 1m gigabytes) of data at a very fast rate. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to speak freely about it, but I’m very happy that I got this golden opportunity to work on such leading edge technology that could potentially revolutionize the industry.

The internship program at Northrop Grumman is considered one of the best among the Fortune 500 companies. You get a chance to work with veterans in the field, and they treat you as true member of their team, assigning you real work and responsibilities. Plus, although it really depends on which manager you get, managers will give you fairly unlimited support for your work and there’s no restriction on work schedule. You can take literally 4 hours of lunch, as long as you get your work done. I have a coworker who comes to work at around 10am, generally take a one-hour lunch break, and leaves for home around 4pm. His manager doesn’t say anything about it because he really gets his work done and his performance generally exceeds expectations.

It’s a great internship opportunity that every QUEST member should try to have. If you’re a computer science/engineering major, mathematics major, information systems/technology major, or any computer-related engineering major and are interested in applying, please let me know!

Michael Hamilton – Cohort 18:
My internship at SpaceX in Los Angeles, which I talked about in June’s QUESTPress, was amazing. I got to work up close with rockets that were being built in the same building that I worked in. On the weekends, I surfed, sat by the beach, went skydiving, explored Hollywood and hiked in the mountains, just to name a few things. In addition to this, I learned to ask questions early and often. Everyone there was happy to help me out and I accomplished much more than I would have had I tried to be too independent.

Justine Hong – Cohort 19:
This entire summer I worked at Georgetown Cupcake as a store associate. I, personally, am a huge fan of the delicious cupcakes the store sells and was more than excited to work at the store. I learned a lot about what it takes to operate a small family-owned business as well as witness how a small business expands. I met tons of different customers from around the world, had my picture taken hundreds of times with customers and cupcakes, and met the owners of the store! This was an exciting summer since I was able to be a part of such a small business in the heart of DC. The staff and the customers made my work experience thrilling. This was such a rewarding summer. Hopefully I’ll continue to work there throughout the rest of the year.

Travels/Trips:

Nathan Elencweig – Cohort 18:
Earlier this summer I wrote about my trip to Peru with Engineers without Borders. I had an amazing time with EWB, and the final results felt very fulfilling. Since we finished the project ahead of schedule, we were able to visit Machu Picchu, among many other Inca ruins. The scenery was incredible, and at the time, I thought I saw the best South America had to offer. But, I was wrong! After the rest of my Engineering teammates flew home, I grabbed my 40 pound backpack and met my best friend, who was studying abroad in Buenos Aires. We backpacked across Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru for fourweeks.
We went on a seven-day trek in the Bolivian Amazon, and got to see alligators, macaws, capybaras, and, of course, monkeys. With the supervision of a local guide, we went piranha fishing (eating them for dinner was not that great of an experience). Shortly after, we drove the boat 200 meters down-river and jumped in for a swim in the Amazon. I slept in a mosquito net on the jungle floor. One morning, I woke up with a tarantula not too far from where I slept. Due to my extreme fear of spiders, I panicked and came close to crying in my sleeping bag.

Other than the Amazon, some other exciting experiences include biking down 50 km of “Death Road” outside of La Paz, cliff diving outside of Cusco, and riding motorbikes for the first time.

I’ve never been interested in “the extreme” prior to traveling, but I had an incredible time in South America, discovering a new side of myself.

Moses Lahey, Cohort 18:
For the past two months, I’ve had the pleasure of taking part in a study abroad trip in Taipei. Aside from learning Chinese, I’ve been able to learn a bit about the culture through the sites and people I’ve encountered while in Taiwan. Cheap bubble tea and street food and convenient and inexpensive cabs and subways made Taipei seem like a college student’s dreamland – did I mention the drinking age here is 18?

Aside from all that, the people here are extremely friendly, and most are more than willing to help you order food or get directions if you can’t read or speak any Chinese. There are a lot of interesting sites to see and explore like Jiufen and the local night markets, as well as quite a few nice places to chill and relax, all made easier by how cheap everything here is (a trip to the hot springs was less than a dollar for students).

Staying here for the past two months has been an awesome experience – although it definitely messed with my perception of living expenses. I really encourage anyone who is interested to visit Taiwan and to experience the food, people and culture here!

“This summer I am…” – Internships

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Rebecca Brown – Cohort 18
“This summer I have two “offices”: my car and the QUEST lab. I am spending my three months of freedom as a local sales representative for University Directories, a leading multi-platform marketing company providing advertising-supported publications and services to the college market. At the University of Maryland, UD publishes the student planner distributed for free by Terp AMA the first week of classes. Over the last year, I have gained an interest in advertising sales and this summer job provides me with the experience I need to launch a sales career!

I spent the second half of exam week away from College Park at the University of North Carolina for UD’s Sales Foundation Academy. This was an intense week of sales training, but, similar to QUEST orientation, the experience allowed for me to bond with my UMD sales team and network with hundreds of college students from across the country. It is a week that I will never forget and I met a ton of new friends!

Back at Maryland, my sales team meets every morning in Commons 6 before heading out to make our sales calls. I average about 35 sales calls a day to local businesses in the College Park community. I usually end my day back in the QUEST lab where I send some last minute emails and organize myself for the following day. Cold calling is tough, but finally making a sale is extremely rewarding. I think the best part of this experience is being able to meet hundreds of business owners around the community. I would say about 50% are friendly but all of them are interesting. So far, this summer job has taught me patience, hard work, and perseverance. I have learned that sometimes you just have to laugh at a situation when things get tough and then move on to the next opportunity. If you have any interest in sales, teamwork, or if you just like a challenge, I would highly recommend this summer job opportunity!”

Chetali Gupta – Cohort 18
“This summer, I am a research intern at a private research laboratory that researches and develops advanced materials. It is primarily funded by the National Defense.”

Mike Hamilton – Cohort 18
“This summer, I am working for SpaceX, a space company in Los Angeles, CA. SpaceX is an aggressive fast paced company that plans to launch rockets quicker and more efficiently than ever before. This internship is a great opportunity to learn a lot of technical concepts and see how communication is essential in the workplace. I am personally working in the Dynamics department, which is responsible for testing the parts made by others to ensure they will survive flight. I also work with selecting sensors and interpreting the data we receive from them. Los Angeles is a great place to have a summer job because I can walk to the beach and ride my bike up and down the coast.”

Mike takes time to enjoy a perk of interning in Los Angeles.

Mike takes time to enjoy a perk of interning in Los Angeles.

Justin Huang – Cohort 18
“I’m working as a Business Analyst Intern at Capital One this summer. QUEST was one of my main talking points during the interviews and prepared me for the job with experience in teamwork, presentations, and process improvement. “

Josh Kohn – Cohort 18
“I’m living in downtown Seattle working for Amazon. I’m working in the retail technology sector, writing code to monitor and redesign parts of the system that tracks Contra-COGS agreements and accounts between Amazon and its vendors. When I’m not working, I enjoy the view of the Space Needle from my apartment window and explore all that Seattle has to offer.”

Manas Kulkarni – Cohort 18
“I’m a Customer Development Intern with Unilever this summer, specifically working on Retail Operations for Wal-Mart. Essentially, I’ll be working on analyzing (and hopefully improving) On Shelf Availability (OSA) for Wal-Mart. In the 4 P’s of marketing, this most represents “placement,” which I honestly was least expecting to work on. But, 10 minutes from the Wal-Mart headquarters in AR, and with 5 other friendly interns working with me, it’s playing out to be an excellent summer so far!”

Eric Oliver – Cohort 17
“Right now, I am in Seattle working in an internship with Amazon.com. The team I am working in is called Global Financial Systems. We create the tools necessary to make records of every transaction that takes place across all divisions of Amazon around the world. With these records, we generate reports for the SEC and stockholders, as well as provide deep analysis of sales. We are currently in the process of upgrading our systems, so my job is to create the tools necessary to diagnose problems as more transactions are integrated into this new system.”

Eric poses with new Amazon gear from his internship.

Eric poses with new Amazon gear from his internship.

Sahil Rahman – Cohort 17
“Hola amigos! I hope everyone’s summer is going well. My name is Sahil Rahman, and I am a rising senior in Cohort 17. This summer, I am going to be interning with a company named Universal Success Enterprises Limited (USEL). USEL happens to own the rights to Outback Steakhouse in Southeast Asia, so I will be working with the company in Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia from June 16th – August 11th. I’ll also be stopping in Hong Kong for a couple nights on my way to Singapore, and then Tokyo for a couple days on my way back home to the US! The company is looking to open more Outback locations in Asia, so for my internship, I will be helping the company search for expansion opportunities and help them make their operations more scalable. I’m the company’s only intern, and don’t know anyone in Southeast Asia, so it should be an interesting trip!”

Rochelle Samuel – Cohort 19
“This summer, I have a research internship at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. It’s not that easy getting one as a freshman (soon to be sophomore), so I’m pretty proud of it. Plus, it’s paid! The focus is Cellular Engineering, and my specific project is regarding protein folding and how it can go wrong. Mistakes in protein folding can cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. Right now, I am studying protein folding in a strain of E. Coli to gain more information but further research can extend to humans. This internship stems from the Institute of Cellular Engineering Research Experience for Undergraduates (ICE REU) Program that I heard about from the Engineering and WIE listserv, so it just proves that it’s good to read your email!”

Ethan Shapir – Cohort 18
“This summer, I am working as a Marketing Intern for Liberty Credit Law. I have been given the responsibility of redesigning the corporate website, writing press releases, creating a corporate video, developing a marketing plan for a new product line, and other later-to-be-named tasks.”

Mercedes Valero – Cohort 19
“I’m currently in Philadelphia doing an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at the University of Pennsylvania’s Nano/Bio Interface Center. I am doing a 10-week research program micro-contact printing Self-Assembling Monolayer molecules (SAMs). My task is to derive a method of printing that produces patterned SAMs using a basic alkanethiol. Once I have established a method, I will help print more complex molecules onto graphite in order to analyze them for optical properties. I’m very excited to be working in a lab all summer and hope to learn a lot!”