Stevens Admissions: Katie's Blog

San Diego Zoo

I still can't believe how lucky I am to be working in San Diego.  I am having such an amazing time, and I have only been here for 10 days!

The San Diego Zoo has over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...and I now have a full membership!  I went to check it out this weekend, and I fell in love!  There were so many exhibits, and there were tons of birds just walking around the grounds freely.  It was amazing!  I think my pictures speak louder than anything I can describe.  Enjoy!

Parrot:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Otter:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hummingbird:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polar Bear:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panda:

Week 1 of Work - DONE

So I have officially been in California for 9 days - and I finished my first week of work!  I absolutlely LOVE it!  I am working as a co-op employee in the Quality department of Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems.  My boss is awesome and even likes the same football team as me!  I spent my first week going through various training modules pertaining to what I will need to know for the next 5 months.  One of the biggest projects I will be focusing on is using a quality operating system to determine the various value streams within the company, making sure we are aligning to those value streams.  By doing this, I will be able to work with professionals from various functional groups and see how each department operates, giving me a greater understanding of how the company operates as a whole.

On a different note, I am off to explore my new city! (I'm hoping to obtain a San Diego Library Card!!)

 

Happy New Year!

Thanks to all the friends I've met at Stevens Institute of Technology, I didn't have to be alone for New Years as I start my co-op placement in San Diego.  I took a train up to LA and met with a friend who attends Stevens and was home in CA for the winter break.  It was such an amazing trip! 

I took an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner up the coast to LA, and the views were incredible. I could see tons of gorgeous beaches and the few people brave enough to put on their wetsuits and search for the perfect waves.  I can't wait to try surfing!!

 Since I am a vegan, my friend had no idea what to feed me once I got to his house.  So we made rolls!  (Basically, sushi without the raw fish.)  We went out and bought plenty of fresh veggies: carrots, avocado, cucumber, jicama, etc.  We then sliced them all up and rolled them into the rice and seaweed paper.  It was such a fun, cultural experience! 

 

For New Years, we left the gorgeous 80 degree weather and drove up into the mountains to about 8,000 ft. I was totally surprised to see ski areas, people having snowball fights, and most surprisingly - a frozen lake!  We stayed in a cabin that was built completely by my friend's family.  The views were incredible, and I never would have expected to have seen that much snow in California!  

On a different note - tomorrow is my first day of work at my last co-op through Stevens!  I am so excited to discover what I'll be doing and meet all the people I'll be working with!

 

Oh the opportunities that arise!

As a 4^th year co-op student ,this semester was the time for me to find my final co-op job.  I knew I wanted to find something amazing, something completely different than anything than I had ever done before.  And that is how I find myself days away from jumping on a plane and flying across the country to start my new co-op job!  I will be working in the Operations department at Hamilton Sundstrand in San Diego, CA, where they work on Auxiliary Power Units and Fans for airplanes.

As a 20 year old, I’m finally feeling the excitement of growing up.  I have spent the past month searching for the perfect place to live, car to drive, and sights to see in California.  What does one bring with her to move across the country?  My camera, flip-flops, and bathing suits of course!  (Can’t wait for this snow-less winter - my cousin already bought me a surfboard!) 

I still have so many details to figure out before I embark on this new journey, but the closer it gets, the more excited I am and the more grateful I become to have gotten such an amazing opportunity.

Wish me luck! And look for my blog posts this semester!