Stepping into the Unknown
By: Cynthia Adhiambo, SEAS ’24
Cynthia anxiously awaiting her first meeting with her supervisor.
Sicunet Inc – Seoul, Republic of Korea
Although I look calm and relaxed, a lot is going through my head as I sit and wait for the clock to hit 10:00 PM for my first meeting with my supervisor at Sicunet Inc. I’m confident in my skills but at the same time the fear of “not knowing what to expect” eats me up. Previously, my supervisor had given me an overview of the product they are working on which constituted a cloud-based version of their current product. It is important for me to mention at this point that I did not have the slightest idea about cloud computing and what access control was all about.
As an international student from a developing country, it has always been my dream to be immersed in a high technological-paced environment. As a result, after starting at UPenn as a freshman last year, I was quick to immerse myself in tech clubs and attend tech events during which I heard of GRIP and I chose to do my internship in one of the most tech-savvy cities I know, Seoul, South Korea. Not only were the two worlds apart from my home country, but I knew the cultures would be so different. My supervisor gave me a pro tip as to how the Korean working population was so different from the US working culture having worked in the US 10 years before moving back to South Korea. I knew the transition wouldn’t be easy but I have never been one to give in easily.
“Hello Cynthia!”, my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Mr. Ike Huh, my supervisor. After a minute or two of building rapport, he got into explaining the product some more to me and true to my prediction, I didn’t understand most of what he talked about. I just sat there nodding, all these new terms were so confusing and a voice in my head was telling me to probably request a transfer to another company with an easier role. However, as much as I didn’t understand the details, one thing stood out for me, he was very patient with me and I could see how much he wanted me to understand the concept. Noticing the panic all over my face which I’m not so good at hiding, he tried to use examples that I could relate to and slowly I realized the concept wasn’t that hard, I just needed more practice. As we concluded the meeting, I made a mental note to myself to learn as much as I could about the internet, servers, and all he talked about. Luckily as a developer, being in a fast-paced environment where we always have to learn new technologies in a short time span, I was able to better prepare myself for the next meeting. Moreover, I was able to gradually open up and communicate openly with my supervisor on my thoughts and ideas about the product. It’s been a week interning virtually for Sicunet Inc and I still feel the experience has still immersed me in the culture and work environment that I had thought of as I applied.
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.