Our Summer Interns – Making a Difference
Cristina Larios — August 29, 2018
2018 summer interns at Liquid Robotics. Fresh ideas. Fresh faces. Lots of energy. Each one making a difference.
They represented an incredible breadth of talent, from Mechanical and Electrical Engineers to Athletic Training to Computer Science majors. Our interns excelled, and each made a unique impact on our Company. In the process they learned a lot about our business, technology and more importantly, about themselves.
Before they returned back to school, we asked them to reflect back on their time at Liquid Robotics. What were their biggest accomplishments? Biggest learnings? Below are some highlights from our intern interviews.
Biggest Accomplishments
From working with the Software Engineering team on obstacle detection and avoidance solutions for the Wave Glider, to helping in the dynamic worlds of customer support and shipping, the interns share their proudest achievements.
Theja Kanumury (Electrical Engineering, University of Colorado)
“Working on the Software Engineering team as a Computer Vision Intern, my summer job was to develop an obstacle detection and avoidance solution for the Wave Glider. This was a big task, yet I’m happy to say my biggest accomplishment was to see the promising results of detecting objects on the horizon.”
Max Simpson (Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University)
“While I have had many small victories, such as diagnosing an issue for the first time, I felt the largest sense of accomplishment was when we shipped our vehicles to the customers. It was a long week, but in the end, it was very rewarding seeing components turn into fully-assembled and tested Wave Gliders.”
Zoe Hughes (Athletic Training, Grand Canyon University)
“My biggest accomplishment is learning all of the processes of the Customer Support Team. The HR team did a really good job at setting goals and challenges for the interns to complete. It was just enough of a push to get us out of our comfort zone and connect us to the Company.”
Biggest Lessons Learned
Any way you look at it, working with ocean robots is beyond cool. Our interns had the opportunity to work in Manufacturing, Software Engineering, Customers Support and Sales Operations. All important functions at Liquid Robotics.
But there was more. Some of the biggest lessons learned were not about the job function itself. Surprisingly, it was developing their core skillsets to confidently interact effectively and succeed in a business environment.
Max Simpson (Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University)
“I don’t think that I have a singular episode that defines my learning experience this summer. I jumped into my job in the middle of a very busy time, so I needed to be able to adapt and think on my feet. Things have been moving pretty fast, and I have learned to persevere through the roadblocks and random impediments that have been thrown our way.”
Killian Fay (Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz)
“The internship helped me in so many ways – from learning how to effectively multitask to keeping track or documenting what you’re doing. However, the most valuable education was learning how to clearly and directly communicate across the Company, with customers and to do so formally, representing Liquid Robotics.”
Theja Kanumury (Electrical Engineering, University of Colorado)
“The biggest learning? That water droplets on the lens can be a pain! Seriously, the two most important aspects were around networking. Both from a technology aspect and from a career perspective.”
Blake Williams (Computer Science, Utah Valley University)
“I’m a very positive person who loves life, lives it to the fullest at full steam. This internship taught me the discipline of paying attention to the smallest of details (required patience), and how to effectively problem solve. The environment encouraged us to do our best, pay attention to the feedback, and to communicate. Communication was key.”
Zoe Hughes (Athletic Training, Grand Canyon University)
“Diving into the Customer Support organization, I quickly learned the importance and value of teamwork, within my team and to other departments in the Company. I was encouraged to share my ideas and to reach out to other functions to help successfully complete my task.”
Thank you to our wonderful summer interns: Blake, Zoe, Killian, Theja, and Max! In their short time here, they made their mark. We wish them the best and thank them for their contributions!
