As the sun-kissed days of summer slowly end, we asked our summer interns to reflect on the opportunities, challenges, and memories that the past few months have brought. Our summer intern could venture beyond the academic world's walls and delve into real-world experiences. At Bio:: Neos, we aimed to make this experience more than just a resume booster –we want them to discover their passions and professional growth. Join me as I reminisce on the moments Peter and Saad found memorable, the lessons they learned, and the incredible people they met in this exhilarating blog about the Bio::Neos summer intern experience.

At Bio::Neos, we immerse our interns in our team and our work. Engaging them allows them to see the real-world programming done daily as Scientific Technology Architects. Bio::Neos is a small team, and we have nine full-time employees! Saad found our small team easy to work with. Our goal, no matter the size of our team, big or small, is that we are a collaborative team. Helping each other along the way allows us to grow and gain new perspectives. Peter shared that he learned a lot this summer. Besides learning new languages and frameworks like PHP, Drupal, and Angular, Peter said he also learned to work with others and build on the same codebase effectively. Saad felt the same way and said he gained a deeper understanding of how custom software is developed across multiple stages and cycles. The knowledge they gain will help them both in their career. 

Peter and Saad could recognize where they felt their career was most impacted. Both shared that being able to learn frameworks will help them down the road in their career. This is a common theme among our interns and employees. Frameworks are not typically taught in the classroom, and when it is, it's harder to understand when not applied to an actual project. Peter shared that contributing to customers' current projects was very satisfying. Existing applications allowed him to know how the application worked as a user, but he also gained an understanding of how the code made it work. Clear understanding and algorithmic thinking is a goal Bio::Neos that we are ecstatic our interns are achieving. Learning how to think algorithmically(computationally) can be a challenge, but once reached is a massive tool while programming. 

As their internship comes to an end, they are happy to share a piece of advice with future interns. From Peter, "Take your time and learn how the projects work before starting tasks. You'll be faster in the long run. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions; that's how you learn." Programming is more than a one-person show - that is why each company has a software development team or partner. Saad shares, "Come prepared with a bit of overview about how version control (Git) and virtualization (Docker) work. Be excited to learn!" No matter your internship type, the opportunity to learn is immense—plan to act as a sponge and soak up all the information you can. 

As the days grow shorter and the warmth of summer begins to fade, the Bio::Neos team has profound gratitude for the enriching and unforgettable experiences that our summer interns, Peter & Saad, shared with us. Their challenges allowed them to push their limits and discover strengths they never knew they possessed. The friendships forged and the mentors gained have become cherished connections they can carry with them into the future. The summer intern experience has undoubtedly been memorable, and now Peter and Saad are more prepared to make their dreams a reality.