Inspirational interns: Stories from Aquaporin Academy

Choosing an internship for your diploma or thesis can seem like a giant step; it's uncertain, and you want to make the best decision. "What if I choose a company I don't like?", "What if my colleagues ignore me?". 

In this blog post, we dispel all doubts and explain what it's like to be an intern at Aquaporin.

Three students once had to decide where they wanted to do their internships and ended up in our nest. Today, they are full-time aquaporiners, and we believe their stories will clarify if you could be the next breath of fresh air walking through the doors of our headquarters.

Sarah – Data Scientist

Aquaporin offered me more ownership and the opportunity of starting a project from scratch, so I saw a huge learning potential.

Sarah Miguel Cournane, Data Scientist, Aquaporin

Sarah was about to sign a contract with another institution for a student helper position when she received an email offering her a position as a data scientist in our deep tech department. Although she had never worked in chemical engineering, her intuition told her to go for the infinite possibilities she saw in Aquaporin’s offer.

For data scientists, it is always challenging to enter into a new field:

It's the problem and the benefit of data scientists; our skills apply to all fields, from fashion to molecular biology. Every time we enter into a new field, we have to engage ourselves in a process of understanding what happens to the data."

Sarah Miguel Cournane, Data Scientist, Aquaporin

With intense communication, she and her team overcame this challenge, enabling them to develop a digital prediction model which could help guide our research and development of new membranes more wisely.

Since Sarah came onboard, Aquaporin has enhanced and implemented an annotation protocol for all the data we generate, facilitating downstream data analysis. As a full-time data scientist, Sarah is continuously improving the model and assisting new data science students in-house.

Jeanette – Quality Control Specialist

Don’t be nervous about talking to everyone, as a specialist and a friendly face, I will always help the students with whatever they need, including breaking the early insecurity barrier.

Jeanette Ankersen, Quality Control Specialist

When Jeanette was studying at DTU, she took a course in water reuse for her Chemical Engineering diploma and realized the importance of securing sufficient clean water supplies, which spiked her interest in water reuse systems. At that time, water reuse was one of the main topics at Aquaporin, so she applied for an internship. From the first second she entered the Academy website, she felt included. The initial and clarifying process was smooth to her, and she found it easy to align her expectations and needs with the project Aquaporin was offering. 

For Jeanette, being under the supervision of a highly caring professional helped her boost her confidence and take ownership. During the internship, she learned to apply specific solutions based on exceptional requirements and conditions for wastewater treatment, and this broadened her scope. In her current full-time position as Quality Control Specialist, this scope expansion has helped her understand the quality standards needed for the different membranes, conditions, and purposes of the diverse membranes we develop at Aquaporin.

Pernille – Membrane Developer

From the moment I could talk with the patients, I knew I was working for the greater good, and my motivation soared.

Pernille Jørgensen

Pernille began her association with Aquaporin during her first internship as a Bachelor Student, and since then, she has been involved in several Aquaporin projects, all leading up to her current full-time position. 

Her bachelor’s project aimed to implement Aquaporin Inside^® technology into hemodialysis treatment to reduce its water requirements. During testing at Rigshospitalet, she had the chance to talk with some of the patients who explained how their condition sometimes chained them to the hemodialysis machine. Pernille found extra motivation in laying the groundwork for a technology that would allow them to be treated at home or while traveling, enhancing their quality of life by giving them back their time.

Now, in addition to being one of the most experienced professionals in product development within our coating lab, she has also become a supervisor. She understands how important it is for students to have an inspiring mentor during their academic journey, and she goes the extra mile by identifying meaningful projects that students will enjoy and learn from. 

The Academy

We perceive the students as part of the company. They inspire us, and they make us think differently.

Karolina Jastrembska, Aquaporin Academy Ambassador & Project Specialist

Karolina has dedicated her entire life to science and has interned in the Czech Republic, France, and Denmark, from her Bachelor's to her Ph.D. All these experiences have shaped the example she wants to set as Academy Ambassador, especially because she was once an Aquaporin Academy student herself. Experiencing firsthand the process a student goes through in this academic journey, she was inspired by the former Academy Ambassador. With bright eyes, he transmitted all his passion to her, enabling Karolina to overcome all her challenges.

From her journey, she has realized what the two most impactful factors of the Academy are. Firstly, having an inspiring, supportive, and passionate supervisor can drastically improve the student’s journey. Secondly, working on a relevant project and being given responsibility while knowing you have your back covered by an involved team boosts the learning curve.

Karolina keeps gaining new knowledge and uses it in her constant improvement of the Academy to an even better and more efficient institution, leaving room for the supervisors and students to focus solely on learning and projects instead of bureaucracy.

The new Aquaporin Academy will be simple, visible, and remarkable.

Karolina Jastrembska, Aquaporin Academy Ambassador & Project Specialist

Aquaporin Academy is a commitment to the empowerment of students, and it is here to foster an environment where people, learning, and meaningful projects thrive. 

Read more about Aquaporin Academy here.