QNS International Internship Experience

AUGUST 31, 2019

Name: Juzel Lloyd
School: Howard University, Washington, D.C., United States

The Center for Quantum Nanoscience offers an international internship program to people interested in the field of Quantum Nanoscience. This year’s program ran from June 27th until July 23rd and the course content covered topics ranging from the basics of quantum science to quantum computing, spin physics, techniques and more. Students also get the opportunity to work in our lab and gain hands-on experience. This year’s intern Juzel Lloyd got to work with both our theory and experimental teams. We Interviewed her to hear about her experience.

QNS: Hello Juzel! Could you introduce yourself?
Juzel: My name is Juzel Lloyd, I’m 21 years old and I study mechanical engineering. When I’m not studying science, I like to read and explore new places and cultures while travelling.

QNS: What is your current major and why did you choose it?
Juzel: Currently, I study mechanical engineering in school. It gives me the tools to contribute to society through technological innovation which will only become more crucial to our way of life in the future. I specifically want to contribute in sustainable ways that can help us preserve our environment. Although I study mechanical engineering, I also have other scientific interests such as nanotechnology and quantum science.

QNS: What did you hope to gain/learn from this internship?
Juzel: I hoped to gain an overall introduction to the quantum science field and the type of projects the QNS was trying to accomplish.

QNS: How was your experience at QNS? What did you like?
Juzel:My experience at QNS was great because I got to see some of what I learned in my quantum computing class come to life by observing the assembly of the various quantum systems. I also liked that I could help out at times with assembling the equipment and so I gained a more hands-on experience.

QNS: How was your experience in Korea? Any culture shock? What did you like?
Juzel:My experience in Korea was great especially since I was already so interested in the culture. I liked how everything was so efficient and it was easy to make plans especially with travel. The language barrier was frustrating at times but this was expected since I knowingly went when I was not fluent in the language (at least not yet). The frustration came less from the fact that I could not communicate well with Koreans, but more from the fact that Koreans often went out of their way to speak English to me when I, as a guest in their country, should have been the one to take that responsibility. For that, I am thankful. There was also so much to enjoy including new foods, cafes, historical sites, saunas, etc. At times I would get stares as a foreigner, and while I accepted it as natural since I obviously looked different from the majority of the country, I did feel self-conscious sometimes. My way of alleviating this was to smile in a friendly manner or to say hello if the time was right. It made my day when I would get a similar response in return.

QNS: What would you like to do in the future?
Juzel: In the future, I will attend graduate school but I am not sure what my focus will be. I definitely know that I will continue to learn more about the quantum field and how it will influence our future technology, and I am so happy I participated in the QNS internship program to gain the exposure I needed. I hope to come back to the QNS center one day to pick up where I left off.

QNS: Anything you’d like to say about your experience/advice for future interns etc?
Juzel: At times it can feel a bit overwhelming with all the new information you’re receiving but focus less on getting the “itty gritty” details and more on understanding what is the goal of the project and how it will help with adding knowledge to the field because this is the main objective of your learning experience for the QNS team.

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