We recently caught up with Mason Read, a computer science undergraduate at UC Irvine who just wrapped up his third consecutive summer internship with Galois. It was a great opportunity for him to share some insights from his experience working on diverse projects, his personal and professional growth during his time with us, and his affinity for Galois’s unique culture. Read on to dive into his journey at Galois.
What has your internship experience been like, and what have you had the opportunity to work on?
Mason: Overall, the experience has been terrific. I’ve been fortunate to work on a broad range of projects at Galois. Each was challenging, interesting, and contributed uniquely to my learning. My internships include collaborating with the IT team, joining a newly formed spinout, and contributing to the CAMET Library. With the IT team, I helped with onboarding new users, maintaining systems, and providing support to fellow Galwegians. In the spinout and on the CAMET project team, I worked on testing, bug fixing, and adding features, as well as related tasks which greatly expanded my technical skills. At a high level, my experience reflects the diversity of projects, tasks, and opportunities here – there is always something interesting going on at Galois.
How have you grown professionally or personally over the course of your internships?
Mason: Throughout my internships at Galois, learning has been the overarching theme. From mastering new tools to brushing up on different programming languages, all the people I worked with made it clear that my personal growth is as important as my contribution—and not just the advancement of my technical proficiency. Across projects and experiences, people I encountered here also helped me develop my soft skills. As I look back, I can see how my work at Galois has made me a better communicator and collaborator. The intricacies of spinning out a company, and being part of larger and smaller teams offered me both role models for how good interactions work, as well as a chance for me to practice. These skills and knowledge have already proven incredibly useful both within Galois as well as in collaborations beyond, and I am grateful to all those within Galois who took the time to share their expertise with me.
How would you describe Galois’s culture?
Mason: Galois culture is one of the most memorable aspects of my internships. It starts with the way that engineers (and interns) interact with leadership. The organization is far less hierarchical than I experienced previously, which not coincidentally, makes Galois a more productive and pleasant place to work. The company culture also encourages Galwegians to connect with one another, be their authentic selves, and trust each other. Having previously worked in a more conventional company with a culture that contrasts pretty starkly with Galois, it is easy to see why Galwegians enjoy working here, and have a far better experience at work than most.
This was your third summer internship in a row with Galois. What keeps you coming back?
Mason: People. Every interaction at Galois was marked by the genuine kindness and intelligence of the Galwegians I was lucky to work and interact with. From discussing technical concepts to enjoying a beer or lunch with my fellow interns, the Galwegians are what make the internship so special, and so easy to return.