Sarah Kolb, a third year Graphic Media student, worked with NASA’s Lewis’ Educational and Research Collaborative Internship Program (LERCIP) this past summer. Through her dedication and work on the Technical Library’s website, Kolb won NASA’s Intern of the Year Award. Below Kolb reflects on her time at NASA:

“I don’t think I could have asked for a better co-op than in the NASA LERCIP program at the Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, OH. From day one everything comfortably fit into place. I rented a room nearby from fantastic landlords, who showed me all the major sites around the city. I was able to catch a bus to work most days; courtesy of the LERCIP program. Despite the stadium, museums, drive-in theaters, camping, Cedar Point and a number of great restaurants, some of my favorite days were spent just lounging around on one of the many scenic beaches on Lake Erie. GRC also hosted social events, tours and guest speakers to enhance our internship experience and learn about the current events in NASA.

“I was nervous when I found out I would be working for the Technical Library, especially since it was my first day; I thought I was in for a nightmare! Due to colleague absences and unavailable software I was stuck shelving old books for a day. Everything cleared up by the second day; we were able to get what we needed, and I found out quickly just how spontaneous and easy it was to work with my colleagues in our fast-paced but enjoyable environment. We brainstormed a lot of creative, innovative designs and concepts for the website. My mentor respected my ideas and gave me room to expand from the base plan. As a result, we completely revamped the Library Website, created a navigation portal for the center, and I generated interactive maps for my own project. The summer was highly productive; I was honored to learn I had won Intern of the Year. Out of about 100 interns, it is uncommon for a first-year to win the recognition. Working at NASA and with my team of coworkers and friends was satisfying enough. I’ve broadened my web design skills to a new level and will unquestionably utilize this experience in my future career. I know I can say I have made a few life friends, and earned valuable experience on my co-op, and I hope to return for another quarter.”

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