I thought I would wait a few of days before I posted my final blog to give me a chance to reflect on the experience after returning home. So I have reflected and I want to go back...now! That’s not quite true but I have to say that my summer has been one that I will never forget and it sure has given me an insight into what life may be like following University.
The goal of the internship, as far as I was concerned, was to give us the opportunity to gain experience working within a global company, with the aim of representing Scotland at an international level and inspiring us when it comes to any future career aspirations. Now that I have returned, it is easy to say that these expectations have been fulfilled with some icing on top. Meeting influential figures, presenting in front of VP’s, working directly with directors and gaining lifelong friendships were all added bonuses that were beyond what I had ever envisioned.
I remember, back when, reading the guff on the SaltireFoundation when I first came across them and taking note of that fact that they claimed program was ‘not for students who were looking for a paid holiday’. That statement still holds partly true because, even though I was in sunny California, it was not all beer by the pool or fun at the beach...well...at least not during the week. But that’s what I loved about it because from Monday to Friday I was worked hard, challenged and put outside of my comfort zone but that was work and experience, and it was incredibly exhilarating. Then at the weekends two days holiday in California, free to do whatever you liked and, in fact, I saw more of the state in my seven weeks than many of my local work colleagues had seen in their many years of residence.
I must thank Sun Microsystems for having me and I need to give a few ‘shout outs’ to some people who all helped make my time at the company a pleasure. Rick Barr, Jessica Escalante, Simon Panosh, Sonya Yu and Victor Lira, who are all within Business Operations Programs and Strategy (the best team at Menlo Park) and thanks again for the jacket, I sure have needed it! I would also like to thank everyone at Sun Start-Up Essentials and especially Sanjay Sharma for welcoming me to their team and keeping me busy during my short but sweet internship. I wish everyone all the best for the future and you never know, our paths may cross again sometime.
I would also like to thank the SaltireFoundation team once again who have all made it possible for me to undertake in an experience of a lifetime. I look forward to helping them out in trying to make the next program a successful one and hopefully, sometime next year, I will be briefing a new student on what life will be like for their eight week placement at Sun while trying to disguise my nauseating jealousy.
I would also like to thank my dog, Oreos, Walter Smith, the wee man at Newark Airport who knocked on the cabin door window to get me on the plane, milk.........
Slainte,
Kyle






















