Final Thoughts
By: Helen Lortie, SEAS ’24
The background of Helen’s virtual booth for the final presentations.
RWTH Aachen University – Germany
My research experience was impactful in many ways. Now that it has ended, I have taken some time to reflect on what it was that I achieved and what I am grateful for about the experience.
First of all, of course, is the research itself. For the end of the program I was in, I had to be a part of a final “symposium”. This meant I wrote a report about my work, designed a poster, and created a “virtual booth” with which to give a presentation. Members of the program were able to move from booth to booth and learn about each student’s research. Just the act of consolidating all my research into one place to be able to accomplish these tasks made me aware of how much I had learned about a topic I had not known anything about. Now that I have been introduced to the fascinating discipline of thermal spraying I would love to be able to pursue it in the future if I can. I can also say with certainty, I do not think virtual research is for me. I am glad to have tried it and appreciate my experience, but what I love so much about engineering is the hands-on aspect. So, when looking for future opportunities I know to narrow my search, which is another thing I learned from this program.
And secondly, no less impactful was my experience with the people around me in the program. My research manager was always available to support me and answer the many, many, questions I had. My “buddy”, who was a German student whose sole job was to be my friend, sent me memes and introduced me to his grandparents. Every week there would be virtual “excursions” to make us feel like we were in Germany. Now, obviously, it wasn’t a very convincing illusion, but it was the next best thing. The other North American students and I went to baking classes for stereotypical German things like schnitzel and “toured” old churches. The people I met, the cultural things I learned about Germany, and the lengths that the heads of the program went to, to make us feel like we were actually having an in-person experience were very valuable to me.
As a whole, this has been an impactful and rewarding experience that introduced me to new people, taught me about broadly applicable technology, and showed me what I value in a research opportunity. I am thankful to have done it and hope to participate in more Penn Abroad opportunities in the future.
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.