Academics

Boeing internships propel EMS student toward dream

Shelby Miller stands in front of a wind tunnel at Boeing's Philadelphia facility. Miller completed two internships with the company where she worked on interdisciplinary teams and got hands-on experience with engineering. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Shelby Miller just can’t get enough of Boeing.

While in high school, Miller was selected to participate in the Boeing Company’s “School-to-Work” program, which sends students to visit Boeing six times. Through that experience, she knew she wanted to be an engineer and work for a large, interdisciplinary company like Boeing.

The Boeing Company in Philadelphia partnered with Upper Darby High School in Drexel Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia, to develop the program designed to introduce students to manufacturing and engineering.

Now a Penn State senior majoring in environmental systems engineering in the health and safety engineering option, Miller has had the chance to get a more in-depth view of the company’s operations through two summer internships. During her first summer with the company in 2014, she was an integrated logistics engineer intern.

“My first summer at Boeing was awesome. I worked with a team that dealt with international customers and program management. We discussed technical issues and logistics support every day. It was a rewarding experience that I am so grateful to have had,” she said.

Boeing’s Philadelphia location is the headquarters of the Vertical Lift Division of Boeing Military Aircraft, a unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and the assembly site for the Chinook and V-22 military helicopter programs.

Miller also had the opportunity to use the new software programs the company recently acquired for their helicopter operations. After learning how to use a new configuration program for a helicopter project, she was able to use her new skill to develop an employee-training guide.

“I was able to teach the new programs to Boeing employees. They made me feel like I was an important part of the team,” she said.

During her second summer in 2015, she was a demand forecaster intern. She focused on compiling information from various databases to forecast which helicopter parts would be needed in its rotorcraft production.

During both internships, Miller used knowledge that she learned in her Penn State courses.

“I was able to apply material I learned in my engineering statistics and excel classes in the workplace, which saved me time when I was learning the ropes,” she said.

“Boeing showed me that, regardless of your major or your goals, you always have a chance to land a fun and important position in a well-respected company. You just have to keep an open mind and realize that many companies are interdisciplinary. It was great to be able to work with civil and mechanical engineers, supply chain professionals and computer science experts. Boeing allows for interns to make a difference,” she said.

Miller’s dream is that her success will eventually land her a career at Boeing after graduation.

Last Updated November 20, 2015

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