This summer, I interned at Northrop Grumman in Linthicum Heights, Maryland. As someone from the Bay Area, I had always sworn off the East Coast for college—so spending 10 weeks there was both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. Between work, class, and travel, I think I made the most of what the East Coast had to offer in 9 short weekends!
Internship:
I split my time between two very different teams: operations in the semiconductor foundry and superconducting digital design. This unique setup gave me a glimpse into both sides of the engineering process—the manufacturing/testing flow of wafers and the design challenges that look very different in semiconductors versus superconductors. I was lucky enough to go into the cleanroom, shadow process engineers, and learn about controls systems as well.
One of the highlights for me was talking with full-timers. I felt eye-opened learning about the variety of career paths an Electrical Engineer can take—far more than I had imagined before! I also realized the value of an internship: not just technical learning — but understanding industry culture, building professionalism, seeing business strategy and innovation in action, and getting the kind of exposure you don’t always get in school.
If I could go back and give myself two pieces of advice for my internship, they would be:
- Talk to as many people as you can. There’s so much wisdom in people’s experiences—things you won’t ever find on Google or ChatGPT.
- Ask for the work you want. Whether it’s the type or the amount, people can’t read your mind. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.
Class:
That was my “9–5”. But from 5–9, I needed to keep myself busy, so I took EE 457: Computer Systems Organization with Professor Redekopp. It ended up being one of my favorite classes—both because of the content and because it connected so closely to what my team was working on. Hopefully I can still fit EE 557 into my course plan before I graduate. The only downside? The compressed 8-week semester definitely kept me on my toes.
Travel:
Thanks to my 9/80 schedule (nine-hour days with every other Friday off), I had plenty of long weekends to explore. Beyond Annapolis and Baltimore, my roommates and I visited Washington D.C. (too many times, perhaps), Niagara Falls, Boston, New York, and the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I also squeezed in trips to see friends and family in New Jersey and Philly. My bank account might not be too thrilled, but my inner travel freak definitely is.
Dance:
One thing I was most sad about was missing dance performance season in the Bay Area. But I made it a point to stay connected to dance. I met an incredible teacher in New Jersey, attended two workshops, saw a couple of shows, and practiced whenever I could (as long as it wasn’t too hot!).
Before and after my internship, I got to spend a couple weeks in the Bay Area with my family. Don’t we love long college summers!
My family at Lassen Peak (10,000 feet) in August!
