Monday, June 8, 2020
By:
The first week has come to a close, it has been great to become acquainted with the other interns and to meet with my mentor for the summer. I didn't know what to expect when we got the email that we would no longer be able to conduct our internships in person. It was upsetting news because I knew that we wouldn’t be able to get much of the experience that comes with being able to physically take part in the planned activities for the summer. This was around the same time that classes at universities began to switch to online protocols. Since then, after experiencing some of the trials and errors of virtual meetings, I have gained a more positive outlook. Besides the struggles of latency issues and the lack of physical presence, working virtually is not the hindrance that I was expecting. We had a creative and fun orientation thanks to the team of organizers: Mikayla, Kayla, Brad, the HR team and the others that we have not been in direct correspondence with, thank you all for your dedication to giving us a fun and benefiting summer. Upon introduction, the realization that everyone is in this together really set in.
Following the orientation, I was able to meet with my mentor at NIST and we began to discuss the project he had in mind for me this summer. The nature of the research conducted at NIST is typically hands-on experimental work, something I was hoping to learn more about. However, our plan to run computational simulations is something that I have prior experience with and am happy to work on. I am excited to discover more about the project and add some new things to my repertoire of experiences.
Despite all of the wonderful experiences I have had this week, they will likely be overshadowed in my memories by the horrible atrocity that took place in Minneapolis the week prior to our internship beginning. I was frustrated and angered that this has happened, again. Too many times have I read the news to see that an African American has been stricken down at the hands of a police officer. Americans, regardless of their gender, race, or religious beliefs should have the ability to live their lives peacefully and without descrimination of any kind. Unfortunately, the inequalities that have plagued our country since its inception are still occurring. I stand with the African American community in this time of turmoil and hope that they will find the equality they deserve.
Billy "Trey" Cole