Mohammed Al-Jawi's Internship with the Kentucky Mesonet

"My name is Mohammed Al-Jawi, and I recently completed my first year at Western Kentucky University, where I am pursuing a degree in Data Science with a minor in Computer Science. As I prepare to begin my sophomore year, I have been looking for opportunities to gain practical experience and better understand how technology is used outside the classroom. 

This summer, I am completing an internship with the Kentucky Mesonet, a statewide weather and environmental monitoring network. Working alongside the student development team, I am contributing to projects that involve managing and organizing environmental data collected across Kentucky. My primary project focuses on building an application that uses data from soil-monitoring sensors. The goal is to create a system that stores, organizes, and presents this data in a way that makes it easier for researchers and staff to access and use it in their work. 

One of the most valuable aspects of this experience has been seeing how different areas of technology come together to solve real problems. Through this project, I have worked with databases, application development, and data management while gaining exposure to the processes behind large-scale environmental monitoring systems. More importantly, the internship has helped me connect the concepts I learn in my courses with real-world challenges and has given me a clearer picture of the type of work I hope to pursue in the future."

This is the first in our "Beyond the Classroom" series. You can support students like Mohammed by contributing to our cause. 100% of anything donated will go to support students like Mohammed: Donate here.