Carson Musser (Khoury ’25) is a fourth year Computer Science student who engaged in a Robotics Software Engineering global co-op in Tokyo, Japan. During his time in Tokyo, he not only learned technical skills that will benefit him in his future career, but also grew personally through his experiences navigating life in a new country.
“A pivotal moment in my time at Northeastern University was when I leapt into the global frontier and started my global co-op in Tokyo, Japan. During my first year at NEU, I was undecided on what branch of Computer Science I wanted to explore. Through talking to students and mentors, I realized trying new portions out was paramount in helping me figure it out. So when I got the opportunity to do a Robotics Software Engineering co-op in Tokyo at the start of my 3rd year, I was ecstatic about both diving into a new industry and growing my global experiences and network.
By working at a startup, I was able to really take on meaningful responsibility and diversify my skill set. Over my eight months at Rapyuta Robotics, I took sole control of designing a state machine for a fleet of robots in their new automated storage system. Whether it was talking with various teams about feature feasibility, running demos of prototype systems at test sites, or even coding into the late nights right before Logistech 2023 (the biggest warehouse automation and logistics conference in Asia where we were demoing the system to the public for the first time), it was hard work. Yet I attribute much of my career growth to this opportunity. It made me realize what skills I needed to work on and where I might see myself in the future (hint: pursuing other robotics opportunities).
By being in a new country, I was inspired to try out new things, and I really appreciated learning and experiencing different ways of life. Whether I was joining the locals after work at surrounding ramen shops, biking 70 km through the Shimanami Kaido bike route through Japanese coastal towns, or talking with other international students and foreigners at izakayas, I was experiencing things only available to me because I took the global leap.
I really appreciate the co-op system for facilitating this opportunity!”
What other activities are you involved in on campus?
I used to be on Varsity League of Legends esports team before it was disbanded. I’m also in NU rover club and APO community service fraternity, and I’m hoping to dive into research this semester with Taskin Padir’s RiVeR Labs.
What is your favorite Honors memory?
My Honors seminar right now talking about Law, Policy, and Human Behavior. It’s a welcomed break from the Computer Science curriculum, with a very sweet, smart professor, Richard Daynard.
What events or activities would you recommend to new Honors students?
Definitely try to find both a technical/research club/gig and also a fun hobby club/community during your first year. This will help you both grow on the career side and social side.