Wednesday, August 7, 2024
By:
“I know these will all be stories someday. And our pictures will become old photographs. We'll all become somebody's mom or dad. But right now, these moments are not stories. This is happening…” - The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
I said remember this moment in the back of my mind.
10 weeks wrapped up in 10 minutes. Why do we always use the number 10? It is an even number, divisible by 1, 2, 5, and 10; the sum of the first four consecutive whole numbers equals 10; the metric system is based on the number 10. Taylor Swift wrote a 10-minute song about a scarf, and it is easy to count by. But how can one wrap up 10 weeks of hard work and exploring the city into a 10-minute presentation?
One can start by explaining why we care about a particular topic. Why is AI so crucial to Intellectual Property in manufacturing? Then, examine what is happening in the field today based on this topic. Before you know it, you’re telling people again why this is an important topic and the next steps. You’re then answering questions based on your knowledge of this topic. Finally, once the 10-minute mark hits, you thank everyone who has stood by you through the stress, tears, and laughs of writing a 42-page paper. That’s how you wrap up 10 weeks in 10 minutes.
I said remember this feeling.
I won’t bore you with what the last week entailed. Still, some highlights are touring the White House with Charlotte, having multiple lunches with mentors, the NIST bathrooms flooding, having a pupusa dinner with Charlotte, Johnny, and Jaden, having a potluck dinner, and saying final goodbyes.
To all my mentors at NIST and SPS, thank you for everything. Thank you for allowing me to join a wonderful office and program. Thank you for giving me a project that has shed light on what I want to do for the rest of my life. Thank you for believing in me. I am proud of my work over the summer and wouldn’t trade my experience for the world. I miss you all already and hope to stay in touch.
To my fellow interns, you all are so special. You have so much potential, and I cannot wait to see what you all do in the future. Thank you for the most incredible summer. Thank you for putting up with my stress over my report. Thank you for always having my back. Thank you for the spike ball games and trips to the National Mall. Thank you for the happy hour trips. Thank you for the museum trips. Most of all, thank you for the memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you for a summer that finally felt like I was living the life I should be living. I miss you all dearly. Please call me if you need anything. I love you all.
P.S. Please listen to Long Live by Taylor Swift because it sums up how I feel right now.
Jenna Mastropolo