Aculon Inc.
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City of Encinitas
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In the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to work for a surface coating company that looks into improving the quality of surfaces by making them hydrophobic, hydrophilic, oleophobic, or oleophilic. I joined a laboratory team of five, which gave me an opportunity to explore various focuses in the lab and learn from experts in specific chemical fields. I worked with a technician who synthesized the chemistry, one who created the products, one who both worked on application and testing of the chemistry, and an electrical engineer who focused on the electronic application of the chemistry. I learned different skills from each member of the lab, which showed me the opportunity that a private lab could professionally offer me.
A chemical lab aligns with my education goals because before this summer, I did not know if I would enjoy working in a chemistry lab for more than a few hours. However, after this summer, I have found that I enjoy seeing the application of chemistry and all that I have learned in my difficult classes can be applied to the real world. I was also very proud of every project I completed, no matter how small, which has motivated me to join another lab in the future. |
In the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to work for the City of Encinitas in the Stormwater department as a stormwater intern. I collected water samples every week at Moonlight Beach, 1 of 44 sampling locations in the city of Encinitas. I collected necessary data for the county of San Diego and required information to keep the beaches open to the public. I conducted storm drain inspections at commercial, retail, and industrial facilities around the city. I had the opportunity to attend Carlsbad watershed meetings and present GIS information I had collected.
This internship enabled me to learn the possibilities I would have working for a city. It showed me the complexities of cities and gave me insight to urban development and planning. |