As I sit here on the boat back from Catalina Island on my typical Wednesday afternoon, I realize that my summer is almost over. I have been extremely blessed this past year with incredible opportunities, and this summer has been the time to experience all of these.
For starters, I got to spend two and a half weeks in China with my Ethics in Engineering class.
I learned so much about a culture I had been ignorant to my whole life. My trip also made me realize just how lucky I am to live in a country like the United States and to be able to go to a school like LMU where I can express my opinions freely and openly.
My trip to China was an epic, interesting adventure. I not only have LMU to thank for that, but also the 20 classmates who came along for the ride.
The minute I got back home, I hit the ground running with a new internship at Ocean Lab, an aquatic swarm robotics company based in Glendale, California.
Interning for Ocean Lab has definitely been one of the greatest highlights of my college career thus far. In fact, it is this internship that takes me to Catalina. But it is really the work I am doing that makes it such an amazing experience.
Being a small company, I get to see the engineering business from all angles. I have gotten the true “hands on” experience that I have wanted, as I prepare to apply to engineering companies – both large and small – this year.
Not only do I get to create, build, and design in the company’s workshop, but every Wednesday all of the engineers, myself included, take the projects we have been working on out to field in Two Harbors, Catalina Island. Here is where we get to see our projects triumph… or die tragically. If the latter is the case, we so head back to the lab for improvements and re-design.
My final summer break has been an amazing one. I cannot believe I will soon be getting ready to go back to school soon, but I am especially looking forward to my senior year!