“Living abroad taught me that I really value opportunities to experience different cultures, meet people with different perspectives, and challenge myself to adapt to unfamiliar situations. Going forward, I hope to seek out more opportunities to live, study, and work in different countries while continuing to grow my confidence, independence, and ability to connect with people from different backgrounds.”
Padmalakshmi's story
Padmalakshmi Ramesh '29, a physics major, wanted to combine her interest in astronomy with the experience of living and working in a different cultural environment. She chose Spain because it has a strong astronomy community and world-class observatories, while also exploring a part of the world she had not yet discovered.
“This experience taught me that I am capable of adapting to unfamiliar environments and taking ownership of a research project even when I do not initially know all the answers. I became more confident in working through technical problems independently and learned that I really enjoy the process of doing astronomy research.”Padmalakshmi Ramesh '29
Major and Class Year
Physics, Class of 2029
MISTI program
Internship
Location
Tenerife, Spain
Host
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)