Ulises shares his reflection on his new internship:

Admittedly, I was overwhelmed with the opportunity to intern at American Water and was nervous going into it. This lingering thought of doubt was in my head however, Hopeworks made the transition from a GIS intern to an American Water intern, as smooth as possible. Learning how things are conducted in a professional environment and attending weekly meetings, though I was sometimes unprepared, definitely have helped me. 

I have to thank everyone at Hopeworks for where I am today, including one of my peers for helping in even the smallest way to get me here a year ago. I was at a part-time job living paycheck to paycheck, but I pushed forward. With everyone's help, I'm now here at American water and the future couldn't be brighter. Though it’s unknown, I’m sure it’s manageable. 

Honestly, with the friendly environment and people's willingness to teach here at American Water, I've been getting adjusted pretty well. What has been really impressive is being able to access all of the data and even the status of the equipment and knowing where they are in real-time, from a managers desk. I guess the equivalent would be knowing what’s wrong with your car to what piece is messing up and who made that piece. Overall, this has just been a great experience.