Phoebe Sharp, 2018 APS Public Outreach Intern

Biography

SPS Chapter: Rhodes College

I am a recently graduated physics major (and German minor) from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. I was the Zone 10 Associate Zone Counselor and am currently serving on the Education Advisory Committee (ERG) for AIP. I helped organize Women in Physics meetings in the Physics department, and researched ultrasonic backscatter techniques to detect osteoporosis in cancellous bone. I have a passion for Physics education and would love to work towards having a Physics class in every public high school. Physics is still thought of as this elite group of old, white dudes, so I’m excited to be working towards changing that stereotype and inviting more people to study how the world works.

This summer, I’m looking forward to getting to know the rest of the interns and integrating myself into DC. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and am very excited for the summer!

Internship

Host: American Physical Society

Project

Abstract

Marketing science for the masses is challenging. As physics students, we understand the importance and need for science education, so reaching out to those outside of our scientific community is a great way to share our curiosity and excitement for how the world works. This summer, I worked on providing accessible and interesting content for patrons of the Physics Central website, a site that works to encourage curiosity in physics through comics, blog posts, and other media outlets. That included writing scientific articles about often overlooked concepts in physics, as well as researching ways to make the website more eye catching and relevant.

Final Presentation

Internship Blog

Week 1: Stanley Cup Playoffs

Washington, DC is a very busy city with so much pride. Having the Capitals in the Stanley Cup against the Vegas Golden Knights has brought people to their feet supporting the team and the city they love. It’s infectious. I find myself being more and more interested in how the games went, eavesdropping on conversations about the game the night before. I’ve considered picking up some superstitions to support the team. Someone on the radio this morning said that during every playoffs season, he grows a beard. I couldn’t go that hard, but I’ll find something comparable.

Why am I talking about the Cap’s (as the natives call them) on my first post of this internship? Because even though we don’t rally in the streets or compete for the greatest title in our field, every SPS intern is apart of this team of physicists wanting to change the world. Our chants are the sound of coffee brewing at 2 am while finishing problem sets. Our rallys are in study halls preparing for our exams. Our goals are not only succeeding academically but socially, by creating community and support for every student interested in this complex, exciting field. And this internship embodies all of that. All 15 of us are hardworking, intelligent, and passionate individuals motivated beyond belief. And I’m so happy to be apart of this network of awesome physicists.

As the APS Public Outreach intern, I work to get more people interested in physics. For the next <10 weeks, I’ll be working on making the various fields of physics more accessible and supporting the Physics Central website in its redesign. If it is easier to describe what quantum mechanics is, then maybe people won’t be as intimidated and gain curiosity for the subject. Getting more people interested in physics is like recruiting more players to our physics team. If we have more players, then (fingers crossed) more people, like their friends and family, will be interested and want to study physics. It’s cyclical.

During the next 10 weeks, I hope to 1) create these tools to get more people interested in physics, 2) find out what I’m going to do next since I graduated this past May, and 3) enjoy this awesome city and the awesome people I’m working with. Oh, and watch the Cap’s win tonight. That free Dunkin Donuts Coffee (when they win, not if they win) will be very sweet, and not only because they put LOTS of sweetener in it.

Week 2: I won the Internship Lottery.

Disclaimer: I listened to David Foster Wallace before starting this, so the beginning of this post comes from a different mindset than the end.

This week I find myself staring blankly at a random point at my desk quite frequently. Not because I’m bored and have nothing to do. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty to do. But, I am starting to feel settled and calm having just moved 9.5 hours from home, having just graduated from four years of proving myself to my school, having (finally) fewer reciprocated responsibilities between myself and an authority figure. Things are much more even; horizontal. Yes, Memphis is topographically flatter than DC; however, now I have the head space to question ideas I wouldn’t have had time to even create. I feel like I have learned so much more in the past two weeks of this internship than in two weeks of college. My mentor has been so patient with me while I have these mini epiphanies about all things physics. I have been writing a Physics Buzz Blog post this week about fusion, and for an hour, we just talked about hydrogen. Having such intelligent and patient people to consult when a topic from my undergraduate physics curriculum finally sets in is a great feeling. I feel like I belong here.

I have also taken sometime this week to explore areas of physics that weren’t covered in my bachelor’s degree. My next blog post might be about Pilot Wave Theory , a phenomenon that uses silicon oil to create small drops of water that interact with the silicon oil beneath them and acts similarly to some principles of quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics is seen as this ring of fire undergrads have to jump through as a litmus test for “how much of a physics-major you are”. But Pilot Wave Theory is a more tangible way to explain some of the hand-wavy concepts of quantum mechanics. Writing about this will be very exciting. But I wouldn’t have learned about this if it wasn’t for my mentor in this internship at APS this summer.

In the vein of learning things beyond the curriculum, I expressed my recognition of having time to genuinely ask questions for the sake of my curiosity to my mentor, and he asked me when Isaac Newton discovered gravity. I didn’t know, and he said it was during the month that King’s College of Cambridge was shut down for the plague [citation here ]. What that does mean about our education system(s) that sometimes real learning for the sake of curiosity happens when we aren’t at school?

Asides:

Not only have I been working hard on this blog post, but I’ve been researching popular websites to see how to revamp Physics Central. PBS is very visually appealing, and I stumbled upon this video . I loved Reading Rainbow as a kid, and this was a really fun summation of many of LeVar Burton’s most influential sayings. Anyways, keep an eye out for changes to the Physics Central website. This will be really exciting!

I don’t think I could have come across a better group of fellow interns. It’s almost spooky how well our personalities fit together. Last night we watched The Incredibles to prepare for seeing The Incredibles 2 in the near future. We talked about the possibilities of the human body given certain super powers. So, could Elastigirl be stronger than Mr. Incredible if she expanded her muscles? Well, it seems like she holds the same mass, but she can manipulate her volume, so that would change her denisty. If she decreased her volume, she would become more dense. So, she could become stronger (maybe) than Mr. Incredible. But when in a ball, she couldn’t do much. Can Elastigirl compress smaller than her “ground volume” (for lack of a better term)? We didn’t think so because when she is at ground volume, she saw her reflection in Syndrome’s lair and expressed a sigh of, what seemed to be, discontent with her figure. If she could compress, why wouldn’t she make her figure the way she wanted it to be? I imagine that would be one of the first modifications she would use her power for.

That was just a snippet of our conversation as physicist analyzing the caveats of superpowers in The Incredibles.

To other undergraduate physicists reading this: Physicists are really cool people. Once you find a group you get along with, you will realize you made the right choice to study physics. It really does open a whole new world to you. So, keep going. It will be hard, but totally worth it in the end.

Week 3: “That was totally wicked!"- Boy from Incredibles

I want to start with a shout-out to Elon . She is such an incredible person, and I’m so happy to be cubicle-mates and roommates with her.

There have been so many exciting events this week. We saw Incredibles 2, went to the National Gallery of Art and the Renwick Gallery, celebrated Stephanie’s birthday, celebrated Michael’s birthday, went on a boat, and integrated space cows into the fold of SPS paraphernalia.

Incredibles 2 was great. No spoilers, but it was totally wicked. It was so special to see how all of the animation has progressed over the past 14 years. The disclaimer for why it took so long before the movie started was nice.

The National Portrait Gallery though. It was amazing! This place, what it contains, its location is truly amazing. We spent 3-4 hours walking all the way around the whole building. Physics students are not only very smart, but we also know many things about many more subjects. All of us had studied some different aspect about art, and throughout the gallery, each of us would get excited about sharing the knowledge we gained from each art class. I had studied contemporary art, and the third floor was breathtaking. I was very excited to share this information with everyone and to learn about the art from everyone else. It’s easy to get lost in that museum.

The Renwick Gallery was amazing. The exhibit until January is about the Burning Man, a festival in Nevada every year that celebrates life. They do this by burning statues and dressing up elaborate costumes. It requires a lot of participation from everyone, so there are no observers. Renwick had some of the pieces they were going to burn this coming January, and they are all amazing. I have attached some pictures to this from the gallery, but please check it out yourself. There is an entire room of wood that looks like the inside of an elaborate religious building, and to think about the team of people that assembled it and that will take it down is so inspiring. Please check it out.

On Monday, we celebrated Stephanie’s birthday! Elon made some fabulous food that was vegan, so everyone could enjoy it! Who knew that vegan barbeque would be so good? But, Memphis’ barbeque (pork) is the best. We all played games together and celebrated being together, loving science, and Stephanie.

This past Thursday was Michael’s birthday, we got paid, and we went on a boat. What a great birthday. This boat was amazing. The dinner was delicious, and the dancing was awesome! We all learned the wobble , which was an interesting experience. We all had so much fun!

And more importantly, we finally got space cow stickers (see below). Michael designed these stickers, and I’m so excited to see them everywhere.

But I am also doing work, somehow. My first article for the Physics Buzz Blog was made available yesterday. See here. And, Elon and I are going to be the poster-sisters for Grad School Shopper, poster made available TBD. The article I’m currently working on is about Pilot Wave Theory . It’s very interesting, and I’m excited to see how I take this fairly complicated idea and make it accessible for a younger audience. I can’t wait until I’m better that this skill.

This weekend, we are going to be doing an outreach event on the mall talking about stars and the summer solstice. I’m very excited to jump into outreach again especially with such an amazing and intelligent group of physicists.

Week 4: What is Love? Baby, don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me, no more.

Disclaimer: Honest and personal evaluation of what it means to study Physics.

Physics, like vegemite: you love it or hate it. It’s hard to be indifferent. It’s the kind of love you have to work for. It doesn’t come when you walk across the stage, and can finally call yourself a “Physicist”. It doesn’t come when you realize that you, an upper-level Physics major, is actually explaining a problem that you struggled with to a freshman. It’s a culmination of patience, empathy, community, and some pain, as many relationships are.

It’s a very on-again, off-again kinda thing. You never really know, even after filing the paperwork to be a declared “Physics Major” if it’s going to work. You doubt every step of the way.

“Oh, I didn’t do well on my E&M final even though I studied for a million hours? Well, I guess I have to change my major.”

“You got A on the second multiple-choice question, and 9.82 m/s^2 on the free response? Crap.”

(Word to the wise, never talk about exams after you take them. They are done and over and not worth your thought anymore. Until you get it back...)

And “Why did you choose Physics?” is always a complicated question. Yah, sure. Say it’s because you’re you interested in the universe, or you had a great high school physics teacher (if you’re lucky). But, in a way, Physics chooses you. You have to take the first step, but much like riding a roller coaster, it will take you along for the ride. You just have to hold on. Really really tightly.

Why am I talking about Physics and personifying it as a partner or animating it as a roller coaster? Because that seems to have been a general theme among the conversations we have had. No one seems to ever be super certain about their degree in Physics. Like, does the paper I received really mean that I earned this degree? I remember before we started walking across the stage at graduation, President Hass said, “By the recommendation of the faculty, you have completed the requirements to graduate.” I was like, “For real? I know a few people that would disagree...”

But, let me say this. Every single one of my fellow interns works hard, is patient, is empathetic, has built a community for themselves and others (including this internship program), and has suffered through Differential Equations, problems that require multiple separation-by-parts, wave function collapse, the ether, etc. We all deserve to be here with our partial to full Bachelors of Science in Physics degrees.

Week 5: Humidity and Humility

I swim to work. I swore that no summer could be worse than a summer in Memphis. Being right on the Mississippi river, going to work everyday was like breathing in water. My glasses would fog up when I would step out of my car. I would almost sprint to the entrance to escape the brutal humidity that would jeopardize my curls that day. But DC is a whole other beast. I feel like I swim to work, holding my breath to keep the cool air in me rather than let the humidity have it. Who knew that fogged glasses and 20 degree temperature differences between the inside and the outside were common in places above Tennessee?

Humidity is disorienting. You walk into this wall of wet when we leave our dorms in the morning, and you start to question why your hands are sticky. Why is it that when it feels so hot and gross outside that everyone still seems to move so slowly?

Humility on the other hand seems to be the opposite. It requires a lot of attention. How can you still be humble and not brag about yourself too much, and yet somehow convince others around you that are competent and able to do a job? That’s what it took to get this internship. Somehow, we all had to sacrifice a little humility to show SPS National that we want this internship, and we deserve to be here, whether or not the humidity of imposter syndrome hit you before or after your acceptance.

DC is not a very humble place. It feels very boastful in its atmosphere. With all of the statues, fancy people in suits, and demonstrations, it invokes an unintelligible air of superiority that civilians walk through in a hurry. That’s how physics appears to be from those that have written of this field of study.

“How could I ever understand what Einstein theorized?”

“Why do I need to know what a bunch of theoretical physicists do in their windowless offices all day now when I didn’t need to know it high school?”

Physics is this wall of humidity that people run through to get to their chilled offices. It’s the fog that blinds those with glasses until they consciously have to clean them in order to see through. It’s what makes my hair curly.

Maybe we shouldn’t run to our offices or immediately wipe away the fog from our glasses. Why don’t we just stand and observe our hands being sticky? Physics is a messy subject; your hands will get sticky. This internship challenges those instincts to be in a cooler place. We have to stop and smell the roses of our time as physicists and be humble. We have to take away this unintelligible air of superiority that physics has surrounding it (like an electron cloud) and help those willing to appreciate it too. Encourage them to stop and notice their sticky hands.

Humility is a rare gift that all of us as interns seems to wield in our favor; we stop and show our humility in the humidity that is Physics.

Week 6: Thoughts from a frantic Physicist

Disclaimer: No overarching theme that explores the depth of being a physics major. Below are some ramblings from this week. (Maybe this is another way I’m providing insight into being a graduated Physicist?)

It’s strange being a part of this program as a graduate. This program has provided me / is providing me many opportunities to stay in DC after its over, as well as valuable skills and connections to employers in this area. I mention this because my experience in this internship is different than those students that haven’t graduated yet. It’s like graduating is this ominous vail that has made this summer much more intense. In struggling to find what my next step is, I envy those other interns that have classes to look forward to or trips to Thailand for study abroad. There are so many amazing things that happen as a college student, and now being a graduate, I can say that students should really enjoy the time they have as students. It’s a race up until the end, and it becomes increasingly harder to appreciate those moments in life. Okay, I’ll get out of my rocking chair now (because I’m old).

Having four weeks left is a real reality check. I’m counting the number of projects I’ve had, the people I’ve met, and the goals I want to reach before August 11. The past six weeks have gone by faster and faster, making me think about time as a concept. I promise not to include my ramblings on time I wrote before deciding they were over-the-top, but if time seems faster, could I be traveling through space-time faster? Then, would I be aging slower? These are the weird things I think about.

We went on two tours this week. The Optical Society of America was so cool! They were so kind in providing us pizza after our professional development series with Danielle. They have such a nice building. The other tour was to Capitol hill. We went to a hearing, visited the Capitol Visitor Center, took the trains between the capitol and the senate building, saw Bernie Sanders’ office, and lots more. I enjoyed spending time with everyone (except Kristina because she was off doing some awesome AAPT stuff), but the whole day was exhausting with all of the information and walking around. RIP Mikayla’s heel.

To highlight a super awesome moment from the tour: we met Dr. Foster during the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy Subcommittee on Research and Technology hearing called “Big Data Challenges and Advanced Computing Solutions”. Dr. Foster talked with us for awhile before he entered the hearing, and he was very engaged, listening to all of the projects that we are working on and trying to provide some comments from his own scientific experience. I’m currently writing about Triboluminescence and Dr. Foster told me about sonoluminescence, this phenomenon that occurs from sound in water producing light. It’s very interesting, and for a representative to have talked about 13 other kinds of physics going into a hearing about data science to talk about this whole other kind of science for a brief moment is so cool. He is so smart and knows so much. He gives me hope for other scientists in politics.

Week 7: MMIA: Mentors Missing In Action

If you are a huge fan of comics and fandoms, then you might be aware that this week is THE Comic Con in San Diego. That means that anyone and everyone that likes comics can go to San Diego and nerd out with other nerds. Because APS Public Outreach has the Spectra comic series, all three of the APS Public Outreach staff are out and about promoting Spectra . So, I’m holding down the fort. I’m researching my next article for the Physics Buzz Blog, working on accessible descriptions of various areas of physics for some redesign work on the website, and writing this blog. I have also spent some time investigating jobs in science in the DC area. Thankfully, there are many, so my work is in finding ones that I’d like to do and that I qualify for. I’d like to plug SPS, APS, and AIP for their work in providing so many resources for recently graduated physicists on getting into the workforce, finding the right grad school, and any other next step that a college students can take.

I think I underestimated the amount of independent time that employers give in a work setting. I appreciate that time because without the stress of looking productive, I end up getting more work done. But, too much of anything can be bad, and being on task and focused for a week without the stress of looking productive was more challenging for me than I thought. This will be helpful for me with future employers. I enjoy the ability to work on a project wholeheartedly, and having that time to work on Physics Central’s mobile presence and my article on Triboluminescence was appreciated.

This next week, I’m hoping to work on another article, survive the torrential downpour that I’m discovering aren’t uncommon in DC, and successfully represent myself in some interviews. I think it’s easy from previous experience to say the things that I have done but not what I have gotten from those experiences. For example, I did research for three years looking at how ultrasound can be used to detect osteoporosis in bone. What I got from this research was great Excel skills, public speaking skills, organizational skills, a stronger ability to analyze data, to work with other labs and instruments, write a long and tedious paper about a specific parameter I worked on, etc. Research is very helpful, and many science people know that. But explaining what you got from doing so much research is difficult. Another example: At my internship with APS, I work to provide accessible content any science-interested reader, provide assistance with their website, and synthesize broad areas of physics into bite-size pieces. What I’ve gotten from this internship have been better science-writing skills, better communication skills, and better collaborative skills.

But remember, doing things for what you get out of them isn’t a great motive for doing anything. Just do what you enjoy, and you’ll figure out what you gained from that experience later on.

Week 8: Thoughts from a frantic Physicist II

Hello to my friends, family, and professors that I have kindly pressured into reading this blog. It gives me more purpose to have an audience than an allusive intern for next summer.

In an effort to establish some consistency in my life, I will be reusing my title from Week 6. Why make things more difficult in my life when I don’t have to?

“We don’t want NASA pursuing the easy stuff."- Mr. Young, a witness from JWST IRB, from JWST hearing on Thursday

That’s my life. Just exchange “NASA” for “Phoebe”. “We don’t want [Phoebe] pursuing the easy stuff,” is exactly what my inner self says all the time. If it wasn’t true, I wouldn’t have studied Physics. I wouldn’t have gone to the House Majority side of the Capitol to see two people justify the delay and increase of cost of the James Webb. I expected more science at this hearing, but it was just budget-this, budget-that. The two witnesses at this hearing were pretty exceptional people. They had an understanding and need for science and space exploration that I feel they conveyed very well. But, explaining the importance of space travel for curiosity isn’t as compelling as saying that we have to keep up with other countries that are doing more space travel than we are. It was really cool that we had talked about this argument so much in my undergrad, and when Dr. Mather visited we asked him to touch on this. It’s difficult to instill curiosity that is so ingrained in scientists’ reference frame to others that don’t have the same perspective about science. Scientists are each other’s hipe-men. And when carrying that other to other audiences can be challenging.

We had two tours this week: NIST and NASA. Let me start by giving kudos to Daniel, Collin, and Jesus who travel over an hour each way to do research. That’s not a easy trek every day, and you have officially been pardoned from not hanging out with use much as we would have liked. Top 3 favorite things about NIST:

• We saw a direct descendant of the apple tree that sparked Newton’s gravity idea.

• There were really cute gophers and wildlife that can’t traditionally be found closer to the city.

• The atmosphere of nerdiness is unmatched. Everyone here loves science, wants to help the world, and is able to inspire those around them to care even more.

• Honorable Mention: The lunchroom is awesome.

Top 3 favorite things about NASA:

• Everyone thinks everyone else is smarter than they are, so everyone talks around with wide eyes, trying to take in all of the intelligence around them.

• Between all of the buildings are miles of trees. It’s like a compound of smart people doing cool research.

• Everyone cares so much. I talked to a computer engineer that compiles a lot of the data from some awesome experiments and makes them interactive and visually stimulating. After learning that some schools don’t have access to .gov websites, she put her work on Youtube, so they are much more accessible to educators.

Science is really cool.

At my internship though, my mentor gave me a Rick and Morty game from Comic Con. Me, being 22 years old without siblings, didn’t know of the game, but I love Rick and Morty. So now, I have a cool game and more Rick and Morty merch. I’ve been working on the mobile presence, my articles, definitions of various aspects of physics, and trying to keep it all together because we have two weeks left.

...

Week 9: Don’t hold your breath too long

I knew this would happen. I would get adjusted to this position, establish a routine, and become comfortable. Each weekend we have made a point to try something new in the city and to see a new museum. It’s been so exciting, but it has made this program fly by. We keep saying, “oh, next week...” when we don’t have a next week anymore. Next Saturday, we move out and on to the rest of our summers.

What does that mean for the work we have put into our internships this summer? For many, the research will continue after they turn in their badges. Our offices will keep running without the added clacking of our keyboards writing these blogs. Our projects will become valuable resources of our organizations to use to spread the word of Physics to a whole new audience. Even if only one more person becomes interested in physics because of our efforts, then our hard work this summer will be paid off.

I have really enjoyed the many projects I have worked on. I have gone from designing posters to researching websites. This position at APS Public Outreach provides a lot of flexibility and independence in the kinds of projects that their intern can work on. The ownership of a project is not always guaranteed in an internship, so this is a great opportunity for students to make something their own.

I chose this title because I feel that often students and young adults get stuck in this trap of waiting for the next step in their lives. Often students miss opportunities that had they taken would have altered the trajectory of their future decisions (for better or worse). And I’m not one to make decisions on a whim. So, I end up holding my breath, hoping to not disturb the way the dust will settle in the end any more than I already have. In college, I was involved with many organizations, projects, and external responsibilities that at the end of the school year, I would fall into a slump, because I didn’t have anything else pulling me around. I didn’t do well with free time. And while I am pulling with all of my might to make the transition from this internship into adulthood with an apartment and a job as seamless as I had envisioned, I notice that I am holding my breath again. That is why, if you notice that I sigh quite a bit, it is because my lower lungs need to stretch as well.

In ⅀: These past 9 weeks have been fast and exciting. With so many activities, friends, projects, and tours, it was difficult to find the ability to sit and relax, for me to realize that I don’t have classes starting in a few weeks, and I need to find a job. The reality of this program ending is not friendly. But I’ll save the sappiness for next week.

Week 10: Empty Chairs and Empty Tables- Another first day

I started my first day of work today.

I am still an SPS Intern (Once an SPS Intern, always an SPS Intern), but I am now the Education and Diversity Programs Coordinator. I work in a different cubicle with different coworkers in a different department. Rather than work on promoting physics through outreach by writing articles and working on websites, I’ll be promoting physics through programming to support UnderRepresented Minorities (URMs) through the BRIDGE program. This opportunity would have been made possible without my acceptance and work in the SPS internship program, so I owe many thanks to them.

The last week of the internship was bitter sweet. I feels like so long ago. There were many concluding activities (last late-night monumenting, card games, frantic packing at 2am, etc.), as well as presentations (which were amazing, please check them out). When we were all kicked out of GW, I left the dorms and the real world hit me. This transition period is over. I am an adult. I had found out not two days prior that I was offered a position in the Education and Diversity department of APS, so I got through the hardest part (getting a job). Now, I was couchsurfing and apartment hunting.

I took for granted the supportive environment that the other SPS interns provided. I couldn’t just run over to Stephanie’s apartment and borrow a pot. I wasn’t sharing a room with Brigette, one of the best roommates I’ve ever had. I wasn’t going to walk into my new apartment to Jamaican music and the smell of Elon’s delicious dinners. Lots of things are different now. And even though change is really hard for me, I’m optimistic, and I still have a huge support network of incredible physics students all across the country.

ACP is different without my other SPS interns running around. No more chance encounters with Michael when I get coffee. No more lunches with Stephanie or random sights of Nathan. I won’t see Mikayla or Amanda. And I can’t bet on if Kristina is in the office or in another city. Kristen won’t be working outside on her acoustics display. And Elon won’t be my cubicle buddy anymore. It feels more quiet without them.

I miss them. This group of SPS interns made this past summer one of the best summers yet, and I hope that we stay in touch. Transitioning from college to adulthood was better than I thought because of these 14 wonderful physicists. Each one of them is going off to incredible adventures, and I’m so excited to have been apart of their lives for the 10 weeks that I could.

To future SPS interns: Do this internship. It’s an amazing experience that I’m excited you have the opportunity to participate in. Make every moment count in this program. We did so much throughout these 10 weeks; I don’t think it was possible to do much more. And most importantly, get to know the other interns. You have a chance to make some of your best friends and have the best summer of your undergraduate career.

To my fellow 2018 SPS Interns: You are all amazing. I’m unbelievably grateful to have met all of you, and I’m so excited to see what you all do. To be as intelligent and bright as you all are, I have every confidence that you will achieve your goals and do amazing things.

Although this hasn’t been as creative as my previous posts, I appreciate this opportunity afforded to me by APS, AIP, and SPS, as well as Rhodes College, to have completed this internship and to have had the wonderful experiences due to this program.

Thank you.