It seems like yesterday that I was standing in my cubicle at Ioxus eagerly awaiting the opportunity to start my first internship experience. It wasn’t long before I was given my primary 10-week objective: design and build a device that would test assembled Ultracapacitor modules to ensure client safety.

What resulted was one of the most invigorating professional endeavors to date. The moments following the problem assignment were filled with scribbling: The drawing of chips and wires. The redrawing of different chips and new wires. As ordered parts and custom printed circuit boards began to arrive on my desk, the project began to take shape (as did the fulfillment of converting education into real-life experience). For the first time I got a glimpse of what life could look like after graduation.

Through the process of continued research, trial and error, design changes, cost containment and collaborating with colleagues – the prototype was completed. Having completed the project ahead of schedule, the company assigned additional design projects to complete my experience. While I didn’t accept the company’s offer to stay on the payroll after the internship was complete (for academic reasons), the experience opened my eyes.