Before I came to USC (and honestly even as a freshman/sophomore), I thought the carefree, relaxing summers were over. I needed an internship otherwise I would fall behind and my career would be over. Not true!
My summers have been full of hobbies, travelling, side quests, and sometimes an internship. I’ve taken them as an opportunity to reset before the school year. Here’s what I did for each of my 3 college summers!
Freshman Summer:
- Solo debut dance program + practice
- Visited my friends in Texas
- Two week study abroad (Fall lead for WRIT 340) in Sydney
- Internship at Northrop Grumman in Baltimore
- Gym every day after work
- Travelled to 7 states on the east coast via Amtrak
Junior Summer:
- Internship at Apple in Portland
- Dance and music practice every day
- Tons of running and hiking in the Pacific Northwest
- Camping by the Oregon Coast
- Travel and time spent back home
This summer, I lived in Beaverton, a quiet but beautiful suburb of Portland. I was a VLSI CAD (very large scale integrated circuit + computer aided design) intern on a team focused on the layout—or back-end chip design—of custom memory blocks. I loved both my team and the supportive culture they introduced me to. Even though I was an intern who had not yet finished her undergraduate coursework in electrical engineering, my teammates regularly asked for my opinion and often implemented my suggestions. That made me feel not only heard, but genuinely valued.
Outside of work, I used the summer to make more time for music and dance, which tend to fall to the bottom of my priority list during the school year. I tried to stay disciplined and practice both every day—hence the strict morning and evening routine below! In July, I also had the wonderful opportunity to perform a one-hour solo dance program for a temple fundraiser.
If I wasn’t singing or dancing, I was probably hiking. I made the most of my time in the Pacific Northwest by reconnecting with nature and exploring its beautiful trails. I spent almost every weekend traveling or hiking. Since I was only a two-hour flight from home, I was also able to fly back for three weekends. I took Amtrak up to Seattle to visit a friend, and during my last weekend in Oregon, a group of interns and I went camping by Pacific City.
Throughout the summer, I got to experience Portland and the surrounding area in so many different ways. Portland has an incredible food scene, so I tried cuisines from all over the world—and I honestly cannot remember having a single disappointing meal. My favorite was the Lebanese food at Ya Hala! Below are some pictures from a boat ride on the Willamette River, along with lots of açaí bowls, plenty of ice cream from Salt & Straw, Molly Moon’s, and Tillamook, and so much more. Portland now has a special place in my heart, and I hope to return soon!
My Summer Weekday Schedule:
6:00–6:30 AM — Stretch/yoga
6:30–7:30 AM — Run
7:30–8:00 AM — Vocal warm-up
8:00–8:30 AM — Get ready, make lunch, and eat breakfast
8:30–9:00 AM — Walk to work and call my family
9:00 AM–5:00 PM — Internship
5:00–5:30 PM — Walk home and call a friend
5:30–6:00 PM — Music practice
6:00–6:30 PM — Dinner
6:30–7:00 PM — Miscellaneous tasks
7:00–8:00 PM — Dance practice
