Student Perspectives: Textron Aviation Summer Internship, Part II

Engineering student April Paul has spent her summer interning at Textron Aviation and has shared her take on this new step in her career with us. In case you missed it, check out her Part I. 

As I write, I have just walked back from the lab after having fixed the (hopefully) last problem on the ion streamer I’ve been designing and building. For my lunch break, I’ll sit here and type out a blog post, and then after lunch I’ll go back and give the ion streamer a test run. The previous model could charge an article to 30 kilovolts in 10 seconds, so we’ll see if his big brother can set a new record!

Since the time of my last post for the Incredibly LETU blog, some, frankly, amazing events have occurred. The most exciting of which being yesterday’s adventure: meeting the CEO of Textron Aviation. Yesterday, I spoke at Textron Aviation’s “End-of-Year Intern Report Out,” which meant I prepared a 7-minute spiel about my summer projects and how I developed professionally through my internship.

Well, as I’m up there speaking, (and rather enthusiastically, I might add!), about my work in the Electromagnetic Effects Laboratory with ion streamers, radiation chambers, and lightning generators, God granted me favor in the eyes of the head of the HR department and the CEO of Textron Aviation.

Did I mention I had been sitting beside them when I was waiting for my turn to speak? Yeah. Crazy. 

April and her roommates, future Textron Aviation employees

So, after the Report Out was over, the CEO of Textron Aviation himself comes up to me and the following exchange occurs.

CEO: “Good presentation. When do you graduate?”

Me: “Next year, sir.”

CEO: “Have we offered you a job yet?”

Me: “Yes sir, but for the avionics department, and I’m more interested doing design work in the laboratory.”

CEO: “You belong in the lab. You’ll work there next year.”

Me: “I want to, but you see there’s a budget issue and even though my boss wanted to hire me, he can’t because…”

CEO: “Nonsense, just shoot me and email when you get back to the office and we’ll get you all set up.”

Me: <speechless>

The CEO then turns to the his friend who was sitting beside him, the head of the HR department, and jokes: “Jim! You gave her the wrong job! She doesn’t belong in Avionics, go fix that.” With that, they turn and leave.

I turn around to see my three roommates around me, (they are fellow Textron Aviation interns), and we exchange thrilled and awestruck glances and silent high-fives, reserving our enthusiastic “THE-CEO-JUST-GAVE-ME-A-JOB!!!!!!!” screams for once we were safely locked in the car. Then we definitely hollered...as only giddy interns can do.

On top of all this excitement, each of my roommates got job offers, too!! (Two of which at LeTourneau students! YAY!) God blessed us SO much! Praise the Lord!

Excited and Grateful,

April

LETU is extremely proud of students April, Amanda and Sarah for highly successful internships! For more information on our engineering program, go to www.letu.edu/_Academics/Engineering/.