Reflection on my First Internship

The internship/research opportunities were one on the primary motivating factors for me originally applying for this scholarship, and my first internship did not disappoint.  I am interning at TGen with the director of Environmental Health and Safety Kathleen Kennedy.  The time spent there has been beneficial in a myriad of ways, but two stand out. 

Firstly, I have a tangible experience showing that I can perform to the level demanded from the industry.  Even though I am early in my education, and was asked to perform work in line with this, I showed the ability to execute new and varied tasks within the scientific field. 

The semester proceeded with notable improvement of comfort and competence, especially in regards to chemical materials.  Having been a poor performer in STEM classes in high school this was an important step in my confidence that has further fueled my passion to continue in STEM in both school and industry.

Secondly, I was exposed to variety of jobs and research projects at TGen and found out which I have interest in and those which I do not wish to pursue.  This is highly influential and incredibly valuable as I am at a point in my education where I can more easily adjust my course of study.  I am very thankful for the ability to learn such information so quickly and so early.  I look forward to varying my internship/research experiences so that I can refine this process further.