Lauren Vierhoven
Tell us a bit about yourself.
“I’ve been privileged to study Applied Physics in Delft, grow up in both Switzerland and the Netherlands, and make great friends along the way. I love to learn, explore new environments, and meet interesting people, and spending time in the U.S. definitely checks all of these boxes.”
Why did you apply for the Internships in the Valley program?
“An internship in Silicon Valley combines two of my passions: technology and the U.S.
I’ve had an interest in American culture, history, and politics since high school, but this fascination has intensified in recent years. What began with reading biographies of American presidents ended with completing multiple extra-curricular courses on American history and politics. A North-American Studies master’s course on African-American migrations at Leiden University taught me about the multiplicity of American society. The complex dynamics behind a nation of migrants of all backgrounds continue to engage me today. During the course I wrote a research essay on the contemporary migration of Africans to the United States, for which I conducted interviews in the Senegalese-American community in New York. This trip marked the end of a course and the beginning of a plan to live in the United States for a longer period of time.
My internship in Silicon Valley allows me to learn more about American culture while engaging with cutting edge technology. I enjoy being in a culturally diverse environment and learning from experts in the semiconductor industry. In my experience, Silicon Valley’s energy and pace is unique in the world and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”
In your application, you mentioned establishing and selling your own company. Can you talk more about this, and your background in general?
“I’ve always enjoyed being creative, in the broad sense of translating ideas into tangible things. During my bachelor's, I started a company with a friend that focused on consulting multi-nationals on their employer branding toward engineering students. I enjoyed building something from scratch and seeing it grow into something you didn’t expect it to become when you started. This experience motivated me to explore business development in other environments, such as Insify and ABN AMRO. In these companies, I learned the value of understanding problems and engaging with customers. I think the common theme among all these experiences is a passion for interesting problems and building solutions to solve them.”
How did you end up in your role with Applied Materials?
“The business development internship at Applied Materials allows me to combine multiple passions. First, I get to hone my business development skills in a highly technical environment. Here again, the main challenge is to understand which problems are important and how an effective solution can be developed. Second, I have spent the past months in a country that has captured my interest for years. In this time, I made new friends and explored an environment with natural beauty, cultural diversity, and social challenges that have developed me on a personal level.”
What significant tasks or projects have you been involved with at AMAT?
“I am grateful that Applied Materials has given me the flexibility to engage with topics that interest me. I chose to research the (future) impact of artificial intelligence and the opportunities that arise with its growth. Although we’ve all experienced the current abilities of AI, there is a lot more to come. The challenge in unlocking AI’s future capabilities lies in building out an immense compute infrastructure, which will have a profound impact on Silicon Valley.”
What are some cultural differences that you’ve learned from working within this industry and in the US?
“Similar to the Netherlands, Silicon Valley outperforms itself from a geographical perspective. On a relatively small piece of land, there are countless companies that lead their respective global industries. This makes Silicon Valley feel like a close-knit place, where problems are solved through both competition and engagement with other nearby companies. The pace of work and the scale of the problems that are being tackled are unique to this place. These conditions attract ambitious individuals from all over the world, making Silicon Valley an interesting place from both a cultural and professional perspective.”
How has this experience shaped your future career aspirations? In other words, what’s next for you?
“Good question! Being exposed to all that Silicon Valley has to offer in a relatively short time period has definitely impacted my aspirations for the future. My experience here has reaffirmed my goal of learning as much as possible and engaging with passionate individuals. However, I’m still debating what I want to learn in the future. The options that interest me most at this point are building a career in high-tech, entrepreneurship, or foreign affairs.”
Any cool trips or weekenders you want to share with us?
“Definitely! One of the great things of being in California is enjoying all of the natural beauty it has to offer. I have been lucky enough to enjoy long hikes in Yosemite, surfing with friends in Ocean Beach, skiing in Tahoe, and exploring the desert in Death Valley. All in all, spending time here has been one of the greatest experiences in my life and I hope to return here in the future.”
“Similar to the Netherlands, Silicon Valley outperforms itself from a geographical perspective. On a relatively small piece of land, there are countless companies that lead their respective global industries.”
