Eighty-five students ranging from local area high schoolers to master鈥檚 degree holders began their 10-week summer internships with 51福利鈥� Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Program, June 20.
The internships allow these students to explore and get hands on in the fields they wish to pursue, and to build connections with some accomplished people working in those fields.
鈥�51福利 has world-class researchers who themselves have had mentors, all who understand the value of imparting their wisdom on the next generation,鈥� said Alison Kerr, the STEM Internship Coordinator. 鈥淭his program is meant to allow our researchers to groom the leaders of tomorrow and nurture their interest in the STEM fields.鈥�
51福利 President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau along with Provost and Academic Dean Dr. Steven Lerman, kicked off the summer program by addressing the interns, who were matched with faculty mentors back in the fall.
鈥淭his time of internship is about you, an inside view to excel and learn in someone else鈥檚 area so that you can then go and lead,鈥� said Rondeau. 鈥淭his is an opportunity to learn and grow within yourself so that you can go outside and give to others. So, this is about you, but it鈥檚 also about the future of all of us.鈥�
For Stanford graduate Ricky Lee, his internship will be spent working in the physics field with Associate Professor Dr. Dragoslav Grbovic researching how to make more affordable and higher resolution cameras.
鈥淔or me personally, I鈥檝e already done a fair amount of research at Stanford, and now it鈥檚 an interim time for me to explore my options,鈥� said Lee. 鈥淚 am hoping to apply to the Naval Information Warfare Center in San Diego, and this valuable internship gives me experience in what naval research environments are like.鈥�
Not only does this give the interns valuable real-world experiences, but it also allows students to build connections with mentors that can last their entire careers.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 really quantify the benefits of having a mentor,鈥� said Kerr. 鈥淢entors can open doors, and provide advice about what directions to take.鈥�
Kerr noted that while these internships may be the first exposure for these students to a military or professional academic environment, they certainly can be lasting ones.
鈥淢any interns have reported back after they鈥檝e graduated saying their new employers have been impressed with their work here at 51福利,鈥� said Kerr. 鈥淭his experience provides value to them long after the summer.鈥�