by Ruth Hammond, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
The best things a student can do for their career are (1) Connect with a dedicated mentor, (2) Learn how to network both vertically and horizontally, and (3) Expand your knowledge by learning new skills. At PEARC22, I had the amazing opportunity to do all three through the Student Program!
I originally applied to the program because I had an interest in high-performance computing (HPC) but was unsure of how to pursue a career in the field. I was very nervous about attending the conference because I felt that my background was a bit untraditional – my major is Mechanical Engineering and my school, which is an excellent engineering institution, does not have many HPC resources due to its small size.
However, the PEARC22 Student Program was very welcoming and encouraging toward students from non-traditional backgrounds. There were students from a variety of …