(May 13, 2012)
FINAL BLOG

The science internship this year at Ecovative was such a great experience. I know that at first I was worried about having to go every week, making enough time for it, and them having enough for me to do. I did, however, have plenty to do over the seven month time span. I started out by just observing my mentor, Amanda, and reading from my mushroom book. By the end, though, I was working in the lab, sometimes even without her. I really felt like a part of the Ecovative team. By the end I was so used to bringing up new techniques and ideas with Amanda, and even some of her coworkers, who were also open to hear anything that I was thinking. I loved how encouraged I was to converse with everyone. Though this was challenging to get used to in the beginning (they are so smart there, and I was a little intimidated), I have learned to see myself as an important part of the team. One of my favorite experiments from the internship was actually my last one, when I made a free-form flower pot, which is completely compostable. I will be taking it home this summer and I can not wait to test it out! I think that the whole idea of going off campus to do an internship with a real company is such a unique and exciting experience and privilege. I have learned so much about the inner workings of a company like Ecovative, and how people think and create in an environment like that. A little advice to anyone who wants to do an internship next year, especially at Ecovative is to be totally open to new ideas. Use your creativity to think of new products and be willing to work with others easily. It is ok to be a little intimidated at first because they are so smart, but don’t let that get in the way of your experience there. Converse, innovate, and immerse yourself in everything that is science! Good Luck!