This has been an interesting experience from the get-go, since the first day Dr. (Rodney) Ridley came in to class with some crazy-sounding plan. Mesa, for a semester, for an internship?! I can’t do that. I have too much schoolwork in the way for me to take time gaining actual experience. Plus, why Mesa? Why not here?

I blew it off as some crazy scheme and carried on with my day. That is until I realized it was early enough that I could back out and be fine; there was no risk. So I signed my name as a possibility.

It seemed like the semester went crazy after that, and Mesa got pushed to the back. Next semester seemed to matter much less than the next day during the workweek. That is, until news got back that not a single engineer showed up to meet with the president about the trip. We all were skeptical. A brand new trip, never test run, and they want me to try it. Why take the risk? It’s comfortable doing the same thing. Why leave if I don’t have to?

Time goes quick, and deadlines tend to sneak up. The trip wasn’t going to run if people didn’t get involved, fast. It was time to commit and sign up, there was a sign-up sheet circulating class that day. I didn’t sign the paper in class as one of the interested people. I was looking forward to a calm, easy semester ahead.

That is, until I realized that nothing gets done without a little risk and discomfort, and that I made a huge mistake not signing that paper. So I tracked people down and signed up. Interviews for positions would be in a few weeks. I had to get ready; there was only one that really wanted.

I sat nervously outside the office, legs tightly crossed, sweating a little, clutching my cup of coffee and resume like they were my last grasp on sanity. Patiently waiting for my phone interview, the door finally opened and I went in.

Entrepix is a company specializing in robotic processing machines for the semiconductor industry; my two interests at one place. I wasn’t going to let this slip away. We talked for a while and almost went over time. I got the job the next day.

The 10 people going were all sitting in a room together for the first time. We all had questions for the people organizing the trip, and they had many important details they needed to tell us. It was brought up how this was the first time a trip like this was happening, and how it was a special opportunity.

Someone asked, “So we’re like the guinea pigs?”

“No,” they responded, “You’re like adventurers.”