Important News and Announcements

SHPE Foundation is pleased to announce the last summer 2012 NNSA internship was conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California. Three Interns, Elizabeth Barbosa, Joehan Carrasquillo and Raul Viera were selected.

Mr. Viera received an offer for a Fall 2012 internship and a consideration for a full time job for the Summer 2013, we would like to congratulate him for his excellent work and development during his summer internship. We are wishing him the best on his career.

SHPE Foundation would like to share with you their personal experience:

Elizabeth Barbosa
August 10th 2012

"This summer as an intern at LLNL, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, I had the opportunity to grow as a professional and as a person. I have a big list of things that I learned during my internship but the one that touched me was learning sign language. Yes, during my internship I was not only widely introduced to a lot of professional resources but personal too.

I had the opportunity to see the fastest computer on earth and the amazing challenging work that is done there. I was surrounded by people that make dreams a reality, more than surrounding me they made me a part of them. To me this was the most exciting thing in the world. Thanks to LLNL and the SHPE Foundation I raised my professional skills to a higher level. And now have the confidence to take the next step in my educational path to graduate school. Thank you all for your support!"

Joehan Carrasquillo
August 10th 2012

"This is the first time I have made an internship at a national laboratory and my first internship on a scientifically-focused topic. Most of the other projects I have worked on have been development focused, in which I knew the problem I needed to work on and simply needed to provide a solution. On this occasion I had to observe and get to know the problem in order to be able to provide a solution based on that problem being observed. The question this would entail would be: is my definition of the problem the actual problem? Is the solution that I am providing the necessary solution or is there a more optimized solution depending on the location or overall occasion of the problem?

In my internship experience I got to realize that not everything is based around my point-of-view, that there are other point-of-views that might provide a simpler and more effective solution, even though it might not be the most efficient according to my criteria, but certainly the most necessary for the occasion and even most efficient according to different criteria. The only way to improve your work is to be able to see that you need improvement and that there are others that are willing to help you so that you can both meet a deadline and do an excellent job.

What about me in personal? I got to learn various things. Things like working with statistical correlations, time management, the lab culture, the fact that power generation forecasting exists, travelers’ experience. I also got to learn that life is a flow: either "you let life control you or you take control over your life" and also, do not lie to yourself: do what is "most passionate to you" in your fields of study, that way you ensure that you are doing what you like and not having to strive to like what you are doing. Over all, I got to work with some amazing people. They helped me and I got to help some of them as well. I also learned what is currently being studied in the fields of computer science and computer engineering, which is very important if I want to keep myself up to date with my field of studies. I really had a good experience and I hope that I get to go on another internship to Lawrence Livermore National Labs."

Raul Viera
August 10th 2012

"My internship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was a great experience overall. In terms of the work experience, I was able to learn a lot by working on my project. I learned things like doing automated testing, working with virtual machines, creating command scripts and developing a virtual device to simulate a physical device. Also, I was able to meet a lot of people and know the type of research they are working on by attending seminars, workshops and panel sessions. They also gave me some advices on how to continue working toward my future goals. The personnel at this laboratory were very nice and they tried to help me or finding someone that could help me when I had some questions or wanted to know about something. The work environment was great because I worked with a team and they were willing to help. Also you have the latest technologies to work with. I also had the opportunity to visit some important facilities like the Terascale Facility, where I had the opportunity to see and learn more about super computers. I also had the chance to visit the National Ignition Facility, where I learned about the research they are conducting there to produce fusion ignition. The last facility we visited was the High Explosive Application Facility, where I had the opportunity to learn about high explosive research. I really enjoy working at LLNL, and my mentor gave me the opportunity to continue working as a Fall Intern. I also get five job interviews with different divisions from the laboratory. Hopefully I will get a full time job for the next summer.

In terms of the social life, it was an excellent experience. I made a lot of friends and we had a lot of fun together. We made several weekend trips including Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Forest, and Los Angeles. In Lake Tahoe we had an incredible time. We rode jet sky in the lake and also went to a hotel where we had the chance to see some celebrities. The Yosemite trip was also a lot of fun. The weekend at Los Angeles was super great. We went to Hollywood, Venice Beach, Santa Monica and several other places. Beside those weekend trips, we also went to San Francisco several times, to baseball games, movie theater and several private parties. The laboratory coordinated some of those activities. It was a great social life and I really enjoy every moment of this summer.

This internship gave me the opportunity to continue working during the fall semester. It also gave me the chance to have a full time job for the next summer. It changed my life forever with all those chances and the friends I made. It was an excellent internship overall that I really enjoyed a lot. I really recommend everyone doing an internship at LLNL."