Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.
"What's the flow rate?" asks Chance, my coworker, hovering over the keyboard.
"28.32 seconds," I read from my calculator. He enters the number, and moments later the data appears in a neat line. I begin using the flow meter on the next ozone instrument, or "ozonesonde," preparing it for the lab conditioning test. When the ozonesonde collects air samples, the flow rate value helps determine the amount of ozone in that air. Measuring flow rates is one of my everyday responsibilities at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. My internship there has been key to my intellectual development outside of a classroom.
When I began working in NOAA's ozone lab two years ago, I had no idea where my broad interests in science would take me. Since then, NOAA has led me to discover my passions for engineering and environmental conservation. It has given me practical information about atmospheric science and climate change, reinforcing my fascination and curiosity with the new data we collect each day. Most importantly, my last two years at NOAA have revealed how important each and every individual is in the scientific discovery process. From the student intern measuring flow rates to the Ph.D analyzing statistics, everyone makes a vital contribution.
This lesson has followed me outside of the lab. In the larger scheme of things, one person may seem insignificant. However, my experience at NOAA has taught me that we each have the ability to leave a tangible mark on the world.
Thank you for reading!
"What's the flow rate?" asks Chance, my coworker, hovering over the keyboard.
"28.32 seconds," I read from my calculator. He enters the number, and moments later the data appears in a neat line. I begin using the flow meter on the next ozone instrument, or "ozonesonde," preparing it for the lab conditioning test. When the ozonesonde collects air samples, the flow rate value helps determine the amount of ozone in that air. Measuring flow rates is one of my everyday responsibilities at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. My internship there has been key to my intellectual development outside of a classroom.
When I began working in NOAA's ozone lab two years ago, I had no idea where my broad interests in science would take me. Since then, NOAA has led me to discover my passions for engineering and environmental conservation. It has given me practical information about atmospheric science and climate change, reinforcing my fascination and curiosity with the new data we collect each day. Most importantly, my last two years at NOAA have revealed how important each and every individual is in the scientific discovery process. From the student intern measuring flow rates to the Ph.D analyzing statistics, everyone makes a vital contribution.
This lesson has followed me outside of the lab. In the larger scheme of things, one person may seem insignificant. However, my experience at NOAA has taught me that we each have the ability to leave a tangible mark on the world.
Thank you for reading!
