This week was filled with intensive reading and practical exercises focused on Python. Tuesday’s undergraduate research workshop was particularly engaging and expanded my understanding of several critical topics, such as diversity, creating inclusive work, social environments, and tackling discrimination. It was enlightening and thought-provoking.

Following the workshop, I moved on to our regular weekly meeting. During this session, we had the opportunity to voice our concerns and discuss what needed attention in our projects. We were also encouraged to share the challenges that we may be facing in our respective projects, and to seek advice from our peers on how they would handle these issues if they were in our shoes. This approach provided valuable feedback and different perspectives, which were quite beneficial.

Later on, we had the privilege of meeting with Dr. Matthew Peña, the Associate Director of the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator. His session covered a range of topics including startups, entrepreneurship education, technology, napkin statements, value propositions, and the development of minimal viable products. Dr. Peña shared a wealth of knowledge and insights. One of the key takeaways for me was the importance of being able to pivot in life. Flexibility and adaptability are indeed powerful strengths.

And with that, week 3 has come to a close, rich with learning and new perspectives.