This summer, Elsa Brecko, a young woman of Latvian descent from the United States, interned at the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science (EDI). She arrived in Latvia as part of an internship program organized by the American Latvian Association (ALA). The program aims to provide young Latvians from the diaspora with opportunities to enhance their professional skills, develop their Latvian language proficiency, and build connections with Latvia.
During her internship, Elsa participated in a project focused on pixel classification of satellite images using machine learning methods. Her work was not only professionally challenging but also encouraged the use of the Latvian language in a technical environment, contributing significantly to the outcomes of the internship.
“This experience was unique and invaluable to me, both personally and professionally,” Elsa shared. “My internship topic aligned perfectly with what I want to do in my future career. Once I graduate from university, I plan to continue working in the field of machine learning — the skills and knowledge I gained during this summer program will be incredibly useful. I was thrilled to carry out an entire programming project using remote sensing data from Latvia and to achieve interesting results from it. This summer was a unique opportunity for me to work, live, and enjoy Latvia. A huge thank you to ALA and EDI for organizing the internship program and providing such an unforgettable experience!”
Linda Gulbe-Viļuma, Elsa’s internship supervisor at EDI, commented, “Internships for diaspora youth are a wonderful opportunity to share knowledge and strengthen international collaboration. Elsa demonstrated great initiative and adaptability to a new environment, and working with her was truly a pleasure.”
EDI takes pride in participating in initiatives that strengthen the connection between diaspora youth and their homeland. The institute supports such activities and hopes that Latvians abroad will return to Latvia to contribute to the country’s development. This program is a testament to the fact that Latvia and the Latvian community have much to offer young people worldwide.
More information about the American Latvian Association’s internship program can be found on the ALA website.