Pictured: Kanyn (left), Mikayla (right)
Two Chicago Public Schools students interned at the downtown offices of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park over the summer as part of the city’s One Summer Chicago program.
Over the past several weeks, Makayla Lopez, 16, an incoming junior at Intrinsic High School, and Kanyn Wilks, 16, who enters junior year at Lindblom High School in the fall, got their first real taste of Illinois’ quantum ecosystem and how the IQMP will position Chicago as a global hub for the emerging technology.
They came into the role with minimal quantum knowledge. But by the end, they had formed their own big ideas about how this industry could change the world. Read on to hear from Makayla and Kanyn about their experience.
What are three words that describe you?
Kanyn: Introverted, creative and compassionate.
Makayla: Outgoing, wise and loud.
What’s your favorite thing to do in Chicago?
Kanyn: My favorite thing is to go downtown and see all of the landscaping and buildings. I would like to go into the field of architecture, and I think it’s so cool to see how many of the buildings were designed by women. It’s really nice to look at.
Makayla: My favorite thing to do is go to the River Walk and get food. The view is always nice!
When did you first become aware of quantum?
Kanyn: My first encounter with quantum was a show on TV that used to come on every Sunday. I cannot remember the name, but it was about this group of people in space, and they called themselves quantum astronauts…I haven’t been involved with quantum since that show, but this internship reminded me of it. It was like, oh yeah, quantum is everything that’s little — every tiny piece that makes up the world.
Makayla: The first time I heard about quantum was in computer science class…Then when I got the internship, it all came back to me. Now I’m in a program where I’m putting in the work for quantum, but there are still a lot of questions around it.
How did you become involved in this internship?
Kanyn: My dad knew that I was interested in science and all the physical parts of the world. He thought that this internship would be a good opportunity for me, so he reached out to a couple of people and now I’m here!
Makayla: I found out about it through someone that’s friends with my mom. I told them that I go to school downtown, and they were like, “That’s perfect!” When I went to the meeting [with IQMP] they explained to me about quantum and how they want to explore it.
How have you been exploring quantum? What’s a typical day like?
Kanyn: Mine is to research the statistical parts of education programs. We’re trying to find the best quantum/STEM programs for youth. My job is to find the numbers: How many programs are there that are actually for K through 12, or what’s just for high school? Do STEM programs in Chicago increase student engagement?
Makayla: On a typical day, I also do research on STEM and quantum programs, and look for data or any patterns or methods that we could put in our program. My focus is to see what students and teachers are interested in and what else we can do to interest them in this field.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience here over the summer?
Kanyn: My favorite part about the experience is the freedom. I think it’s really cool to have some independence because I’m not totally used to that. But the thing that sticks out to me the most is the people. My co-worker
Makayla is amazing and really outgoing. And then Greg and Eric are just amazing people.
Makayla: I think my favorite thing about the internship is how peaceful it is. It’s very independent work but I like how I bonded with the other intern, Kanyn. I could ask more questions, be more involved here and get more one-on-one time with the higher-ups.
Do you have any takeaways from the internship that you’d like to keep in mind as you go off to college?
Kanyn: A takeaway from this internship was that I got to improve my work ethic. I have a short attention span but I think that the atmosphere really helped, so I was able to work for a lot of time without getting distracted or using my phone. I learned a lot, too, in the process.
Makayla: I think what surprised me the most was how many jobs go into quantum and the Park that we’re building.
As a Chicagoan, what does it mean to you to see the future of quantum being built in your city?
Kanyn: We already have really big tech industries and a lot of innovative machines. But I think quantum will really improve them. We could do so many things. Chicago might be even bigger than it already is.
Makayla: Yes, as a Chicago person, it does make me proud to know that we’re going to become more of a technology city. And having other companies compete, wanting to do the same thing as we’re doing, just shows a lot about what we are doing here.
