For my STEP Signature Project, I completed an internship with the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio. I lived at my off-campus house in Columbus near Ohio State and completed this work in an on-campus office where my research group works, which was helpful for collaboration and having an in-person work environment. For my project, I worked on completing an aerothermoelastic analysis in ABAQUS Finite Element Analysis software for a hypersonic skin panel with an optimized variable thickness distribution.
My STEP Signature Project taught me two important lessons: how the research process works and how to live independently. This internship was a research internship. Although I have been involved in undergraduate research previously, this internship opened my eyes to what a career in research would look like. I also learned many important lessons about graduate school since graduate school for aerospace engineering is very research focused. This internship really built upon many lessons I learned in my undergraduate research group as I saw how a research-focused workplace functions and how I can best prepare myself for a career in research. I also made many connections that I have stayed in touch with and will have a long-lasting impact on my career path.
My understanding of myself was also changed by having to live independently for the first time. Although I have lived away from home before, I have always had roommates to live with. However, this summer was the first time all of my roommates were away and living elsewhere. I had to learn how to take care of the house by myself without the help of my roommates and be extra vigilant for intruders since I was the only one home. I also had to learn to budget my money and manage my STEP Fellowship allowance. I made decisions like grocery shopping instead of eating out to stay within the $75/week budget.
The main event that took place this summer that transformed my view of the research world was when I got the opportunity to attend a conference in Chicago with my team at the Air Force Research Laboratory. It was the AIAA Aviation Forum, where companies and universities from all over the world come to Chicago and present their research in the aerospace industry. It was truly fascinating to see all of the research that this wide breadth of people are working on and to be able to make many connections with people from all over the world. I also got to see how a conference works, which is an important aspect of a research career. Had I not had this internship, I would not have had the opportunity to travel to Chicago and meet all of the amazing people I met or see how a conference works.
Having to keep a strict budget definitely was transformational for my independence. Although I have been at college for several years, when I lived on-campus I had a dining plan that helped me budget my food for me. I had 10 swipes/week so I knew I had to use those accordingly. However, living off-campus with a $75/week budget for food changed how I had to manage my budget. I chose to buy groceries instead of eating out more often than not. Because of this, I developed a newfound love for cooking, which will be a lifelong skill that will not only help me manage my food budget but is also good for my health and wellness and is a fun hobby!
Although I was working in Columbus with my research group at Ohio State and not in Dayton with the team I was working with on my internship project, I still learned valuable lessons about the company and how a research-based company functions. A research career is very independent and there is not a lot of direction given. The individual is responsible for thinking of ideas to work on and creating experiments to run. There are not a lot of strict deadlines or a boss nagging you about getting your projects done. This allows the individual to go as in-depth on a topic as they would like. If they are working on a project and they discover something that would take the project in a different direction or that they want to know more about, they have the freedom to explore that. Many industry jobs have strict deadlines that must be met and clear cut requirements for a project. It was interesting to see how a research company functions and what a career in research would look like.
Learning what a career in research would look like is really important for my future because I want to pursue graduate school and ultimately a career in research. Graduate school in aerospace engineering mimics a research job, which is why it is important to learn about it as an undergraduate before I can move on to the graduate level. It was especially interesting seeing the contrast between a research-based company through this internship and academic research that is conducted at the university. I am really glad I had this transformational opportunity, and it confirmed my aspirations to obtain a PhD after I graduate and have a career in research.
Learning how to live independently and budget money on my own will be a lifelong skill that I will need to have. I learned how to cook and developed a love for cooking, which will be something I will do for the rest of my life. It will also be especially important to know how to manage my money as I become no longer financially dependent on my parents after I graduate college. I am so glad that I developed these skills throughout my internship this summer and will use them for the rest of my life.
My badge at the conference in Chicago!