This week has already been absolutely amazing and its only the third day! So many new sites to see, new wildlife here, and great people I’ve met. I am originally from Coconut Creek, FL (close to Ft. Lauderdale) and I am a rising super senior at the University of South Florida in Tampa studying computer engineering. This is my first time ever in Iowa and there is a lot that is different in comparison to Florida. There’s a lot more hills, all different types of plants and animals, and the weather is much nicer around this time of year in Iowa. Yesterday I saw a wild rabbit, a robin bird, red squirrels, and a few chipmunks (which we don’t have in Florida). The main animals you will find in Florida are gators, squirrels (brown not red), blue jays and crows mainly, and lots of butterflies. I can’t wait to explore the beautiful city of Ames and work with my wonderful peers on the upcoming research.

My goals throughout this research internship are:

• To make new friends
• To learn as much as I can with the mini courses and research project
• To apply my knowledge from my classes to help with the research project
• To learn more about HCI and see if I want to pursue it for grad school