My work projects have been going very well for the past few weeks. My projects are assigned in three general sizes. The small project I’ve completed only take one person’s efforts over an afternoon. The small sized projects I’ve completed include research for new system datalogger and reformatting of brewery action sheets and daily pH and gravity sample charts.
The medium sized projects I’ve worked on take about a week for one person to complete and include my favorite projects. At Heart of Darkness, I’ve done research to update and standardize our passivation process, a precautionary measure to ensure the quality of our new stainless-steel equipment. After researching safer chemicals and procedures for passivation, I also developed a formal standard operating procedure for the process to be used in the future. Another medium sized project I’ve completed at Heart of Darkness is research and analysis of our wastewater management. Brewery wastewater has very specific properties that must be mediated before being disposed into municipal water treatment facilities. My research accounted for the properties of our wastewater and suggested widely accepted methodologies for addressing each to reduce the strain on the water treatment facilities.
The largest project I’ve worked on has been over the course of several weeks in conjunction with one of the brewery assistants, Nhi. This project is meant to develop a quality control and assurance program at the brewery to ensure product consistency, employee safety, brewery cleanliness, and customer satisfaction. This program will use all the research from smaller projects as a template and result in a brewery-wide standardization to be used as a foundation for future expansion.
The most dynamic relationship I have at the brewery is with the other intern, William. As a rising senior, he has had far more brewery experience than I. Because of this, I often shadow William when we brew nano-batches. Conversely, as the more analytical and organized intern, William follows my lead on tasks he is unfamiliar with, such as research projects and clean-in-place (CIP) procedures. The dichotomy in our skills and interests have made both our experiences more rewarding.
I also have a very fruitful relationship with the brewery assistant, Nhi. As a graduating senior not only does Nhi have more experience and knowledge than I, but she has also explored several career paths I’m interested in. Like me, Nhi started her college career in chemical engineering, but decided to switch to industrial engineering, which I am considering. Nhi and I have had several discussions on the differences between the disciplines and different industry opportunities both have to offer.
Nhi is also involved in programs at her Vietnamese university that I planned on joining at UF. Nhi is a teaching assistant at her university and also has a part-time job in addition to working at Heart of Darkness and taking classes. Getting tips from her on how she balances her life and interests is very eye-opening and helpful as approach my very busy sophomore year. Next year, I plan to work part-time, become a teaching assistant, and take classes at UF. Balancing my school and work life next year is very daunting but watching Nhi over the past weeks has given me a great example to follow. Her encouragement for me to explore other interests has made me less fearful of the possibility of changing my major and broadening my college experience.
Living and working in Ho Chi Minh City has taught me so much about being cautious and aware when driving. Driving laws in Vietnam are far laxer than those in the US. That paired with the high volume of scooters and motorcycles has led to me seeing several collisions during my commute and travel experiences. Both my boyfriend and I are purchasing scooters to use on campus this coming school year. Even though scooters in the US have far more safety regulations and speed maximums, living in Vietnam has taught me that driving safe is not only about how fast you’re driving, but also about paying attention to the drivers around you. Avoiding risky situations like weaving through traffic and swerving between cars could have prevented many of the collisions I have seen. Seeing the driving and scooter culture in Vietnam and its similarities to the UF campus has made me a more conscientious driver and mindful of the dangers of driving scooters.
UF in Vietnam Internship 