Practicum Description

My practicum was the completion of a research internship with the U.S. Army Research Lab (ARL). During this internship, I was able to take the lead on data analysis of research I had conducted previously. With the assistance of my advisor, I was able to fully develop and execute the data analysis and obtain usable results. I was also able to overcome many difficulties that were presented from COVID-19 and as a result, I was able to learn many practical skills. In addition, I was able to put my leadership skills into practice in a real world work environment.

What Did I Learn?

My practicum provided me with many unique learning opportunities that have greatly helped me this school year. One of the biggest things I learned from my practicum, was how to apply the principles we learn in class within a real-world work environment. Being able to effectively communicate with my fellow employees and my bosses while also ensuring my opinion is heard are skills we have talked about in class, but my practicum allowed me to practice these skills and hone them. In addition to learning how classroom learning applies in the real world, I also learned many technical skills. I was able to learn the basics of MATLAB as well as many data analysis techniques, like linear combination fitting. Overall, this practicum experience allowed me to learn a wide variety of skills I can use moving forward.

My Growth as a Leader, Student, and Professional

This internship and practicum offered me many opportunities for growth, not only as a leader but also as a student and a professional. At the beginning of the internship, I was unsure of making important decisions on my own, especially when they affected people other than just myself. By the time the internship was complete, I was confident in my choices because I was able to see how they could lead to success. In order to show how I have grown, I have uploaded my research abstract. I chose to upload this specific item because not only does it show all of the things I learned during my practicum, but it also shows how I can conduct research to its near completion while making important decisions.

Moving Forward

The skills I have learned during my practicum will undoubtedly benefit me throughout the rest of my time at UMD and in my future career. I have learned many useful scientific and research skills as well as how to effectively work with a team. These skills will allow me to quickly adapt and succeed in any future career field I enter. I can also use skills I learned like MATLAB to assist me in the rest of my courses here at UMD.

For the rest of my time at UMD, I plan to take the rest of my major required courses. After next semester, I will be finished with almost all of my degree requirements besides the final courses required for my major. I also plan to pursue more internships to gain more relevant experience. I already have an internship for summer 2022 and I plan to do at least one more internship and possibly a co-op.

After I graduate, I plan to pursue a chemical engineering career within industry, specifically in some sort of process engineering role. If after a while of working in industry I decide I want to pursue a Ph.D. or maybe even an MBA, I will return to school and transition my career down a different route.

Elevator Pitch

Below I will add a brief elevator pitch in a cover letter format to describe the skills I have gained through the Public Leadership program that can be used when applying for jobs. My updated resume can be found in the resume tab.