Update a-day-in-the-life-swe-intern-nasa-brandon-lam.mdx

blogs/a-day-in-the-life-swe-intern-nasa-brandon-lam.mdx

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-_Our A Day in the Life series is an inside view into what it’s like working in tech for Gen Zs. From college interns getting their first peek into tech to recent grad professionals who’ve been on the scene for a bit, they’ll share their inspiration, challenges, advice, and more!_
+_Our A Day in the Life series is an inside view into what it’s like working in tech for Gen Zs. From college interns getting their first peek into tech to recent grad professionals who’ve been on the scene for a bit, they’ll share their experience, inspiration, tips & tricks, and more!_
 
 _In the first issue, we are featuring Brandon Lam (he/him), a SWE intern at NASA, Glenn Research Center, ISS and Human Research Office. Enjoy!_
 
 #### Hellooo Brandon! Tell the community a little about yourself.
 
-Hey I’m Brandon! I’m currently a Software Engineering Intern at NASA. I’m an incoming junior at the University of Minnesota studying Computer Science. In my free time, I like to play strategy games like [Teamfight Tactics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamfight_Tactics) (TFT) and [Hearthstone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearthstone). I met the Codédex team at HackNYU and love the platform. Nice to meet you guys!
+Hey I’m Brandon! I’m currently a Software Engineering Intern at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). I’m an incoming junior at the University of Minnesota studying Computer Science. In my free time, I like to play strategy games like [Teamfight Tactics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamfight_Tactics) (TFT) and [Hearthstone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearthstone). I met the Codédex team at HackNYU and love the platform. Nice to meet you guys!
 
-And a fun fact: I’ve peaked top 100 in North America in both games.
+Fun fact: I’ve peaked top 100 in North America in both games.
 
 #### What do you do at NASA?
 
 I’m a SWE Intern at NASA’s [Glenn Research Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Research_Center) in Cleveland, Ohio updating and testing an inventory management site this summer. The internship is from June 5th to August 11th. And I’m mainly doing fullstack web development right now using Spring Boot, [JavaScript](https://www.codedex.io/javascript), Node.js, and MySQL.
 
 ![outside](https://imgur.com/gCSiTkL.png)
 
-#### NASA is super prestigious. How did you end up getting the gig?
+#### How did you get the internship?
 
-I applied last December 2022 to an opportunity on the [intern.nasa.gov](intern.nasa.gov) site and ended up getting a call one day in March from my current mentor, Nancy. She said that she was interested in my background and that I would be a good fit. She also mentioned she was judging for a NASA high school competition in my area and wondered if I’d like to help judge the competition the next day. It was an opportunity to talk more about the position.
+I applied last December 2022 on [intern.nasa.gov](intern.nasa.gov) and ended up getting a call in March from my current mentor, Nancy. She said that she was interested in my background and that I would be a good fit. She also mentioned she was judging for a NASA high school competition in my area and wondered if I’d like to help judge the competition the next day. It was an opportunity to talk more about the position.
 
-So the next day, I skipped school and went to help judge the competition. Upon arriving, I felt terrified seeing that the other judges were three NASA employees plus myself. However, the event turned out to be fantastic, and I received valuable advice from the employees. Moreover, I had the opportunity to network with them, and as a result of that experience, I was later accepted into my internship!
+So the next day, I skipped school and went to help judge the competition. Upon arriving, I felt terrified seeing that the other judges were three NASA employees plus myself. However, the event turned out to be fantastic, and I received valuable advice from the judges. Moreover, I had the opportunity to network with them, and as a result of that experience, I was later accepted into my internship!
 
 #### So now you are there... What are the best aspects of working as a NASA intern?
 
-The best part about my experience here has been the incredible people I work with on a daily basis. The diversity of expertise and backgrounds of all the workers here is unlike anywhere else! I’ve had the privilege to meet people working on all types of projects, such as sending a plant to the moon, improving satellite communications, researching aerogels, and creating a newsletter.
+The best part about my experience here has been the incredible people I get to work with on a daily basis. The diversity of expertise and backgrounds of all the workers here is unlike anywhere else! I’ve had the privilege to meet people working on all types of projects, such as sending a plant to the moon, improving satellite communications, researching [aerogels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel), and creating an email newsletter.
 
 In addition, you can get lots of tours at the facility. Some of my favorite places have been:
 
 - Exercise Countermeasure Lab: Astronauts lose 1% bone mass every month in space, so NASA has special workout equipment created to make sure they stay in shape while they’re on the ISS. Astronauts in space have to work out for 4 hours each day!
-- My roommate’s chemistry lab: The microscope they use is ~20 years old so the only way for them to retrieve data from it is to use a computer running Windows 98. When I asked why they haven’t upgraded they just said, “It still works, why upgrade?”
+- My roommate’s chemistry lab: The microscope they use is ~20 years old so the only way for them to retrieve data from it is to use a computer running Windows 98. When I asked why they haven’t upgraded they responded, “It still works, why upgrade?”
 
 #### What does a typical day look like for you?
 
-A typical work day for me is no different than any other typical SWE. I get to the office every morning and check my emails, after that I check to see if I have any meetings for the day and then get to work.
-
-Work consists of coding, attending meetings, demoing the site, and writing documentation. 
+A typical work day for me is no different than any other typical SWE. I get to the office every morning and check my emails, after that I check to see if I have any meetings for the day and then get to work. Work consists of coding, attending meetings, demoing the site, and writing documentation.
 
 There’s also lots of workshops offered onsite that I try to attend and my mentor really encourages networking and attending these since that’s really what the internship is about.
 
 ![fun pic](https://i.imgur.com/fDXvWSq.png)
-<figcaption>Me and other NASA interns after Barbenheimer!</figcaption>
+<figcaption>(Me and other NASA interns after Barbenheimer!)</figcaption>
+
+#### Okay, so Barbie or Oppenheimer?
+
+Oooh, I'm gonna have to say Barbie. 
 
-#### Okay, so Baribie or Oppenheimer?
+Oppenheimer was so interesting, but 3 hour movies are ROUGH.
 
-Oooh, I'm gonna have to say Barbie. Oppenheimer was so interesting, but man, 3 hour movies are ROUGH.
+#### Do you have any tips for high school and college students trying to get a tech internship?
 
-#### LOLOL. Do you have any tips for high school and college students trying to get a tech internship?
+Get out there and get involved! This can be anything from joining a student organization, attending hackathons, or creating your own personal projects. NASA Glenn received 12,000 applicants this year and only 162 interns got accepted. 
 
-Get out there and get involved! This can be anything from joining a student organization, attending hackathons, or creating your own personal projects. NASA Glenn received 12,000 applicants this year and only 162 interns got accepted. Every intern I've met here has been insanely talented, sharing one common trait: the ability to apply their knowledge beyond the classroom in the real world.
+Every intern I've met here has been insanely talented, sharing one common trait: the ability to apply their knowledge beyond the classroom in the real world.
 
-If you’re interested in attending a hackathon, try signing up for [NASA’s Space Apps Challenge](https://www.spaceappschallenge.org).
+If you’re interested in attending a hackathon, sign up for the [Space Apps Challenge](https://www.spaceappschallenge.org)!
 
 #### What’s a personal project or achievement that you are really proud of?
 
-The personal project that I’m the proudest of would have to be my TFT Simulator. In TFT, there are lots of variables of luck and chance involved within the game. At the time, there was a debate that was rather 50/50 on what the correct decision was in the game. So I decided to try and solve it by using code.
+The personal project that I’m the proudest of would have to be my TFT Simulator. In [TFT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamfight_Tactics), there are lots of variables of luck and chance involved. At the time, there was a debate that was rather 50/50 on what the correct decision was in the game. So I decided to try and solve it by using code.
 
 After spending three days researching the math behind it, and learning how to write the code for it, since my numbers kept hitting integer overflow. Behind my program, there were 12 different variables and calculations up to 120! (factorial). By the end of the project, I was able to form a conclusion on what the correct play was (it ended up being that both options were correct, it just depends on the certain circumstances in your game).
 
-This was my first ever personal project and this was really when CS clicked for me. Having the ability to apply my knowledge from school and create something applicable and useful to me was so cool!
+This was my first ever personal project and this was really when CS clicked for me. Having the ability to apply my knowledge from school and create something useful to me was so cool!
 
 #### Who or what inspired you to go for a NASA internship?
 
 My parents are by far my biggest inspiration for me dreaming big. Growing up, my parents both worked 6 days a week, 10 hours a day to provide for me and my sister, and I am very thankful for them. Their hard work is what motivates me to work so hard. 
 
 As for NASA, I mean, who doesn’t want to work for NASA, it’s NASA!!! 
 
-https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/ps-03787-07_af_july_2023_508v2.pdf
+I’m also a NASA supermodel! I’m on the cover of NASA Glenn’s monthly magazine, [_AeroSpace Frontiers_](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/ps-03787-07_af_july_2023_508v2.pdf), July's edition.
 
-#### Okay, how do you top NASA then? What’s your dream job?
+![magazine cover](https://imgur.com/ZCkG6Oh.png)
 
-It’s hard to say what my dream job is. I’m 19 and in my first two years of college, I changed my major four times. So I’m a rather indecisive person. That being said, I’m just gonna go with the flow and hopefully I’ll end up at my dream job one day!
+#### How do you top NASA... What’s your dream job?
 
-I’m also a NASA supermodel! I’m on the cover of NASA Glenn’s monthly magazine, _AeroSpace Frontiers_.
+It’s hard to say what my dream job is. I’m 19 and in my first two years of college, I changed my major four times. So I’m a rather indecisive person. That being said, I’m just gonna go with the flow and hopefully I’ll end up at my dream job one day!
 
 #### What's been your biggest challenge in getting to where you are today?
 
-By far the biggest challenge I’ve faced would just be imposter syndrome. I wrote my first line of code two years ago, and I remember during the second week of class, some guy scoffed at me when I asked a question, and said, “This is so easy, how come you can’t do this?”
+By far the biggest challenge I’ve faced would just be imposter syndrome. I wrote my first line of code two years ago, and I remember during the second week of class, some guy scoffed at me when I asked a question, and said, “This is so easy, how come you can’t do it?”
 
-When it comes to class, I’m not the smartest guy. I’ve dropped physics 3 times, I almost failed one of my core CS classes, and I always feel behind compared to my peers.
+When it comes to class, I’m not the smartest guy. I’ve dropped Physics three times, I almost failed one of my core CS classes, and I always feel behind compared to my peers.
 
 Despite that, after gaining some work experience, and getting better at coding. What I have to say is that you’re only really applying about 15% of the content you learn in class at work. In addition, comparison is the thief of joy, and as long as I’m enjoying my time learning how to code and creating projects, why should anyone else's opinion matter?