I first learned about CERN during high school, when I participated in a visit to CERN organized by my physics class. During the subsequent years, I became amazed by the huge contribution of CERN into both computing science and engineering fields. After high school I enrolled in the Department  of Applied Informatics in the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Greece. The department offers an interdisciplinary degree, connecting the business world with computer science and engineering.

During my first year, the professor of Computer Organization course introduced me into the world of FPGAs. Since then I worked hard to be able to  bridge my knowledge in FPGAs with  computer science and business. Eventually, I chose with the help of my current thesis supervisor a subject for my bachelor thesis related to FPGA. It was near the end of last year, when I learned that FPGAs are being used for Triggers and Data Acquisition systems (TDAQ) at the LHC experiments and without hesitation I applied for a position as a Summer Student. When I got accepted I knew that this was going to be an amazing experience and it turned out to be even more!

This summer CERN gave me an opportunity to work with FPGAs in the PH-ESE-BE group under the supervision of Dr. Haas. My everyday work  in the group gives me greater insight in the applications that  FPGA technology has in Trigger systems. I consider both my work and the knowledge I obtain from my supervisor and the rest of the team as a lifetime experience. Moreover, as a summer student I attended lectures in many different fields, including physics, engineering and computing applied to high energy physics and had the chance to visit the experimental sites!

But being a Summer Student is also a way to discover both Swiss and French culture. Every weekend we planned excursions to the surrounding area of CERN. Very close to CERN is Geneva, a slick, sleek and cosmopolitan city, with a lot of history and attractions. East of Geneva stretches the biggest lake of Western Europe, the Lake Geneva. Around this lake there amazing places to visit, like Nyon, Lausanne and Montreux. From the other side of the borders, just ten minutes away, there is Saint Genis, a small and cozy village, the perfect escape after a long productive day.