As a computer science major at The Pennsylvania State University, I often find myself in the library studying for final exams. I study using two strategies: reviewing my notes and taking practice tests. Alone, each activity contributes little to my preparedness; if I were to spend all my time memorizing calculus equations, I would struggle to apply my knowledge to the specific scenarios explored in test questions, and if I were to only complete practice tests, I would forget information the practice tests do not cover. The power of unifying theory with practice helps more than just my performance on finals. I aspire to work for NASA or become a research professor, and combining theory with practice – or college with internships – is essential for my success. Skills that are not practiced tend to weaken. I will take dozens of rigorous courses over my academic career; without opportunities to apply what I have learned, my education will be less effective. Internships are necessary in my field because computer science is highly theoretical. So far, I have learned how to engineer data structures, develop algorithms, and distribute my code using digital tools such as GitHub – but I’m still not ready to assemble rovers for Mars or launch probes to the outer solar system. There is an important difference between knowing how to use a hammer, drill, and saw and knowing how to build a house. Internships teach me how to unify my disjointed skills to build something meaningful, like a website or a satellite. Internships are also extraordinarily helpful for improving my soft skills, most importantly problem solving. Internships are fundamentally different from classes at school. In my classes, I am given known problems with known solutions. While approaches to these problems may vary, students are expected to arrive at the approximately the same conclusion. Internships are the opposite; in internships, I am given unclear problems with unclear solutions. Problem solving in internships is chaotic – just as it is in innovative research and engineering. There is no help booklet for sending a drone to Saturn’s moon Titan. Without internships, I would be helpless when working on similar projects at NASA. The most important lesson I have learned from internships is not to fear inexperience. I remember the terror I felt when I arrived at Comcast for my first internship. I was tasked with engineering a LabVIEW program that autonomously measures inrush current in power cables. LabVIEW? Inrush current? I had one month to deliver my project, and I had no clue what any of that terminology meant. One afternoon, I was collecting inrush data from inside a capacitor, which stores electric energy. The capacitor needed to be fully discharged between measurements to ensure accurate readings. I didn’t know how to safely discharge a capacitor, so I asked the head engineer for help. After some thinking, he asked me to step back, pulled out a pair of scissors, and said, “Well, I’m out of ideas, so let me show you what NOT to do” before touching the blades to the capacitor. Sparks flew as energy exploded from the capacitor into the scissors. My LabVIEW project was a success, and I now smile instead of shake when I encounter a new challenge. This fall, I will face my next significant challenge on the way to NASA: the Nittany AI Advance Program. I will be collaborating with university students, faculty, and clients to innovate artificial intelligence that defends crops from grazing deer – a massive problem in Pennsylvania. Because of my internships, I will be prepared to pass this test with flying colors.