Cover image shows Abigail in our CARES office.

Through Northeastern University’s unique focus on cooperative education, and with the support of Northeastern’s Presidential Global Scholarship, I had the opportunity to complete a three-month-long internship with The World Avatar™ project at Cambridge CARES in Singapore.

During my time there, I primarily contributed to the development of an Android mobile application designed to collect data on users’ health and environments through various sensors, with the goal of making predictions to support well-being.

My work focused on visualizing user trajectory and activity data on a map, using color coding to represent different activities such as walking, driving, and more. I also enhanced the user interface to make it more intuitive and visually engaging, adding interactive features to the map and trajectory lines, as well as creating a daily summary of the collected data for users.

This experience provided me with valuable exposure to Android app development — an area I had little prior experience in — and allowed me to collaborate with a diverse group of people from a wide range of cultural and academic backgrounds.

Working in a new country greatly expanded my global perspective and understanding. I am extremely grateful for my time at CARES and the warm welcome I received in Singapore. In particular, I’d like to extend special thanks to Sandra Deng for her guidance and support in navigating the challenges of this role.

This unique opportunity not only allowed me to experience a variety of cultures and connect with people from around the world, but also equipped me with both technical and interpersonal skills that I will carry forward as I pursue a career in technology and research. I am excited to apply what I have learned at CARES to future projects, courses, and professional experiences.

Abigail Bernstein, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Cognitive Psychology at Northeastern University