My third year at The University of Cincinnati brought many new opportunities and challenges to me. I started off my year with my third CO-OP. I was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, working with GE Aviation as a software engineer. This was my first time living outside of the city I grew up in. The experience as a whole challenged me, as I spent around four months in a new city without knowing anyone and was constantly outside of my comfort zone. The other CO-OPs and I all lived in the same dorm of a nearby college, and we were all from different parts of the country and from very different backgrounds. This exposed me to a lot of different interests, foods, and activities. I no longer had the routine of going out with my established friend group and attending football games every weekend. This break in routine changed me, and allowed me to develop new interests and better social skills. We joined an indoor soccer league, played outdoor pickup soccer with several local groups, explored the city and went to sports games. I met a lot of new people, and made some great friends.
At work, I learned a lot about the aviation industry, and bettered my coding skills. It was my first in person work experience since 2019, and I really enjoyed the increased socializing opportunities. I worked with a mentor most of the time, and was often put on a team with another CO-OP to work on projects. I learned a lot of applications for python, and expanded my knowledge of its libraries and use cases. I found out more about what I want in a career, and what I dislike.
At work, I learned a lot about the aviation industry, and bettered my coding skills. It was my first in person work experience since 2019, and I really enjoyed the increased socializing opportunities. I worked with a mentor most of the time, and was often put on a team with another CO-OP to work on projects. I learned a lot of applications for python, and expanded my knowledge of its libraries and use cases. I found out more about what I want in a career, and what I dislike.