For this week’s blog we talked to Rachael Shudde a Senior Computer Science and Math math major from Ovalo, TX, and what she did this summer!
What did you do this summer and where did you go? What was your job? What did your average day look like?
I worked at NASA Langley as an intern in the Safety Critical Avionics Systems Branch. I worked to develop software for the NASA DAIDALUS program. This program’s goal is to automatically reroute plans on a collision course.
What motivated you to get this internship? How did you achieve this?
I really wanted to work in aerospace, and I knew that NASA looked for math interns. I also wanted to go out of Texas for the summer. Applying to NASA was a long process, but it was definitely worth it.
What was the most useful thing you’ve learned in class that you were able to apply during your internship?
Honestly, outside of technical skills, class and work were such different environments that I cannot compare them. In class, you can always ask a professor or peer for help. However, this summer, no one knew the answers to my questions all of the time. I had to learn to problem solve without the backup of a professor.
Did this summer change your perspective on business and technology and how those operate in the real world?
Yes! It made me confident in my choice of major. At NASA, my branch operated with out a lot of overhead management. Everyone know their job and did it well. What I learned is that the best skill to learn is how to teach yourself.
What was the most insightful/funniest/strangest thing that someone said to you or happened to you this summer
Someone told me, “I rewrite my code all of the time. Even if it works. There’s always a better or more efficient way to solve problems.”
Do you have any advice for students who might be considering a similar path?
All the interns at NASA I met had the similar quality that they loved learning and problem solving. Demonstrating that through taking hard classes not required by your major is one way to show a love for learning (no one there cared about GPA).
Overall, what was your biggest takeaway from this summer?
The foundations of success are the ability to learn well, not necessarily mastery of one skill.