Hello Everyone,
Sadly, my final week at APR has come to an end. APR, based in Opelika, Alabama, is a leading company in performance software and hardware for Audis and Volkswagens. Looking back, I’ve had an incredible experience, and I can’t thank everyone enough—my mentors at APR; my amazing host family in Opelika; and Sarah, Trang, and everyone else at Pinhead who made this opportunity possible.
This final week was focused more on review and reflection than on active projects. I had the chance to revisit everything I had worked on and discuss those projects with the people who guided me through them. It was incredibly satisfying to see some of those projects come to completion. Two of my biggest mentors also took the time to sit down with me for a full debrief, sharing not just engineering insights but also valuable career and personal-growth advice—lessons I’ll carry with me well beyond this internship.
This experience has deepened my interest in engineering and automotive work. More importantly, it gave me a real-world perspective into the business and corporate side of the industry, including some of the challenges that arise in that environment. I learned so much in such a hands-on and exciting way—from riding in an Audi RS6 and BMW M5 on a test track, to participating in on-road audio testing, using an ultra-precise 3D scanner, sitting in on dyno runs, and watching live performance calibration in action.
This week I also had to say goodbye to my host family in Opelika. Over the past five weeks, they welcomed me into their home and treated me like one of their own. From
late-night talks to weekend lake trips, they gave me not just a place to stay, but a true sense of belonging. I’ll always be grateful for their kindness, warmth, and generosity—and I hope to keep in touch with them for years to come.
This summer has been unforgettable. I’m leaving with new skills, deeper passions, and lasting memories.
Me and the entire APR engineering team
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