The Mid Autumn Festival is a harvest festival and holiday that takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar calendar. Predominately observed across Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and many other ethnic Chinese communities. The Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival begins as early as September 16. The official day of celebration for 2024 is Tuesday, September 17. 

While celebrating the autumn harvest as a whole is a focus of this time of year, depending on which Asian culture and country you are focusing on, you will find different cultural traditions and beliefs such as an emphasis on the moon, gathering with family, and even honoring those who have passed. Across all of these countries, the importance of gathering with family and loved ones can be seen.

Each country has its own name or reference for the Mid Autumn Festival, here are some of them: 

• 中秋节 (Zhōngqiū Jié) & 中秋節 (Jūng-chāu Jit) (Mandarin | Cantonese) 

• Tết Trung Thu & The Children’s Festival (Vietnamese | Vietnam) 

• 추석 / 한가위 (Chuseok / Hangawi) (Korean)

• 月見 (Tsukimi) (Japanese) 

• Lantern Festival (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia) (note: Not the same as the Lantern Festival that takes place on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar calendar) 

• Moon Festival | Mooncake Festival (Hong Kong and also other Asian countries such as Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia) 

During the Mid Autumn Festival, you will find many people eating and gifting Mooncakes, a pastry filled with different rich flavors such as red bean or lotus. You may also find crescent-shaped rice cakes called Songpyeon (Korean) filled with either red bean, chestnuts, or even toasted sesame seeds. Similar to other holidays across the world, food plays an important aspect to many during the Mid Autumn Festival. 

To learn more about The Mid Autumn Festival across a couple of different cultures, check out the links below! 

Chuseok in Korea 

Tsukimi, The Moon Festival 

Hong Kong Celebration of The Mid Autumn Festival

Name: Yao Sun

Pronouns: She/Her

Semester of Internship:Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and  Fall 2024

Major:Applied Developmental Psychology

Current Class Level:fourth year graduate student

This semester I completed a(n)...:  Internship

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): ACT Inc.

Location of the Organization (City, State):Iowa City (Remote)

Title of position: Research Intern

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities: 

During my internship at ACT, I had the opportunity to work on a range of projects that allowed me to delve deeply into both research and industry practices. My day-to-day responsibilities included examining the validity and reliability of assessments related to social and emotional skills, refining existing items to improve their effectiveness, and analyzing data on SEL and ACT scores, including data specific to students receiving special education services. Additionally, I was involved in analyzing qualitative focus group interviews on equity-based test items, providing me with hands-on experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

What made this experience particularly valuable was the emphasis the team placed on my training and professional development. I was encouraged to engage with a variety of projects, which broadened my skill set and gave me a taste of industry work after having primarily worked in academic environments. This exposure allowed me to produce significant research outputs, some of which I submitted to a conference for presentation. Moreover, the insights I generated contributed to the development of a shortened version of one of the company's assessment tools, demonstrating the impact of my work within the organization.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?:

I began my search for an internship position by exploring numerous opportunities on LinkedIn and applying to many that caught my interest. I applied for this particular position on March 26th and received an invitation for a digital video interview just a few days later. During this digital interview, I recorded myself responding to a series of questions. Subsequently, I was invited to an interview with the team on April 29th. Later that same day, I received an offer. I enjoyed the conversations with the team and found the opportunity compelling, so I decided to accept the offer.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?:

LinkedIn

What have you enjoyed the most about your position and organization?:

I really enjoy working at ACT because the team prioritizes my training, allowing me to develop my skills across a range of projects, from assessing the reliability of social and emotional skills assessments to analyzing data and focus group interviews. Coming from an academic background, this experience has also given me valuable insight into industry roles, broadening my understanding of applied research in a professional setting.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?:

I believe I’ve made an impact by generating research outputs that contributed to the development of a shortened assessment tool, providing data-driven insights to refine our approach. I also submitted my findings to a conference, sharing our work with a wider audience and further strengthening our research outcomes.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?:

When seeking an internship or similar experience, it's essential to find a position that aligns with your current skills and experiences, while also ensuring the organization’s mission resonates with your values. Additionally, consider the company culture before accepting the position, as a supportive and positive environment is crucial for your personal and professional growth. This alignment will not only make your experience more fulfilling but also increase your motivation and commitment, leading to greater success and development during your internship.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center:

What I appreciated most about my position at ACT was the chance to engage in diverse projects that sharpened my research skills, all within a supportive environment that prioritized my professional growth. The Career Center's resources, particularly those for resume building, were instrumental in helping me secure a role that aligned with my values and career goals.

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab presents

The Code of Honor: Embracing Ethics in Cybersecurity

Dr. Paul J. Maurer, President & CEO, Montreat College

12-1pm EDT, Friday, 20 September 2024 via WebEx 

The Code of Honor is a thoughtfully constructed program for building best practices in the tech industry with a specific focus on cybersecurity. Using illustrations from popular culture and real-life case studies that provide a glimpse into the complexities of the world of cybersecurity, this comprehensive learning tool helps students, professionals, and business leaders navigate ethical challenges and enhance their decision-making processes as they face the great economic and security threat of our age. The Code of Honor requires that we focus on and teach our students to be mindful of fundamental ideals (respect, protect, and serve others), be accountable, learn from mistakes, work collaboratively, and practice discipline and self-control.

• Professional Responsibility: Cybersecurity professionals hold a great deal of power and enormous levels of responsibility in the workplace and the broader economy.
• Foundational Principles: Humans with a solid ethical framework and a grounding in character must direct the technology.
• Human-Centered Approach:The value and dignity of humanity are the foundations of the Cybersecurity Code of Honor.
• Service and Protection: When you work in cybersecurity, you are truly embracing a higher calling to serve and protect organizations and users.
• Teamwork: We need other people to be successful, which begins with a healthy level of self-awareness, humility, and relationship-building.
• Commitment to Integrity:Our jobs matter, our work is valuable, and our industry’s integrity is important and worth protecting. It is as much about our integrity as it is about the dignity we see in the people who place their trust in us.

Dr. Paul J. Maureris the president of Montreat College and is currently the fourth longest-serving president among the 36 independent colleges and universities in North Carolina. He is a visionary and results-driven leader, who has more than 30 years of leadership experience in nonprofit and higher education administration. Under his leadership, Montreat College has become a national leader in cybersecurity education and workforce development, working with leaders at the highest levels of the North Carolina and United States governments. In 2024, he co-authored The Code of Honor, a book grant sponsored by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity with support from the National Security Agency (NSA). The book was co-authored with Ed Skoudis, one of the most recognized and respected cybersecurity experts in the United States. He earned his Ph.D. in political science from Claremont Graduate University, where he was an H. B. Earhart Fellow and a John M. Olin Fellow. He earned his B.A. from the University of Cincinnati, where he was co-captain of the men’s soccer team and a local Young Life leader. He earned his Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

 Host: Alan T. Sherman. Support for this event was provided in part by the National Science Foundation under SFS grant DGE-1753681.