My experience as a CERN summer student has been nothing short of incredible. The CERN atmosphere thrives on diversity, curiosity and creativity which was certainly embodied by the students and staff I met throughout the program. I began my summer at UBC in Canada where I joined the ATLAS collaboration and built neural networks for improved top quark tagging. Because of their exceptionally large mass and short decay time, top quarks may hold insights into the Standard Model and beyond.

At CERN, I continued the top tagging research as well as analyzed new types of detector information to incorporate into machine learning techniques. Throughout this project, I developed skills in Python scripting, training and testing various types of neural networks, and navigating remote servers. The combination of the lecture program, hands-on workshops and self-study taught me a great deal about fundamental particle physics, the ATLAS detectors themselves and software engineering practices. I also got the opportunity to develop my oral presentation skills during my final presentation to ATLAS Canada and to improve my technical writing skills through progress reports and my final research report. In addition to my stimulating research project, I got the opportunity to travel throughout Europe with other summer students, experiencing the vast diversity of cultures firsthand. Between hiking in Switzerland, biking through small town France, eating our way through Italy and many more adventures, I am taking away amazing memories from my weekend adventures.

My time at UBC and CERN has been incredibly rewarding, and I have learned more than I could have imagined. This program is one of a kind, bringing together students from across the world to collaborate and connect over a shared passion for science in the heart of Europe. A huge thank you to the summer student coordinators who made this program possible for me, to my supervisor, Alison Lister for her continual support and guidance, and finally to all of the other summer students who made this summer truly unforgettable.