Wheww! This day was a long time coming. After a week of orientation with QEM and another day of orientation in the NSF, I am finally working in my very own cubicle with two monitors. This feels so much more exciting that I imagined life in a cubicle.
I would kind of start my first day at the end of the NSF orientation. This is because my mentor asked that I meet with her after our orientation. This was a very immersive meeting. I expected to go in a discuss logistical things but Dr. McCauley had other plans. I walk into a room with three other people, one who was on the phone. Dr. McCauley gives me a run down of what their talking about then asks what I think... You can imagine my surprise. I think more than what the conversation we had and my input I really has set the tone to my internship and my relationship with my mentor Dr. Pamela McCauley. She seems to really value person to person interaction and although she is an amazing and established woman she has made me feel like a teammate rather than a subordinate.
Overall, I am extremely excited for all the development that is going to take place through this internship and specifically under Dr. McCauley. I hope to have a clearer view of my future, better connections and a stronger identity in STEM. With all the extraordinary Black Women in my Division, I think my expectations for development will be vastly exceeded.
