Sophia Teng, a Mechanical Engineering student at Cornell University, is thrilled to be spending the summer interning for Airbus U.S. When asked what she hopes to achieve in her position, she states the following:

“One of my first goals is to gain more technical experience, whether it’s becoming more experienced in CAD and drawings or learning more about tolerances, I would like to gain more skills that would help me as a mechanical engineer. Another goal of mine is to understand more about the entire system that we are designing and how each subsystem interacts, what role each part plays, and what we need to deliver to our client. The final thing I hope to achieve is to be able to say that the parts that I designed were put into space, and the work that I did was important in making that possible.”

Sophia has been particularly excited to work on the T1TL contract, noting it as one of her brightest experiences thus far.

“Despite joining the company so recently, I was amazed at how much work and effort had gone into this project, and it made what I am currently working on feel much more real. I realized how big of a milestone that this contract is for Airbus U.S., and I am excited to be a part of this journey.”

Sophia also graciously shared insight for incoming interns who hope to join the Airbus U.S. team in the future:

“My advice would be to come in with an open mind and willing to learn. There is so much information out there that might not be necessary to do a job well, but an internship provides you the opportunity to take your time to learn things that you might not have the time for as a full-time employee. I would also advise incoming interns to understand that the timeline and workflow at a company is different from what they might be used to at school, and that there is always work to be done, you just have to seek it out.”

In the future, Sophia is interested in pursuing a career within the aerospace industry.

“Although I am enjoying the technical design work that I am currently doing very much, as a rising junior, I am still excited to explore other possible career paths within the industry in the future. For me, the impact of the work that I am doing matters more than the specific work that I do on a day-to-day basis.”

Sophia gratefully credits the Brook Owens Fellowship for the chance to interview with Airbus U.S.

“During my interview I realized that Airbus U.S. is a unique company that it has the resources and benefits of being part of a larger company, but also the excitement and competitiveness of a smaller startup. I felt extremely welcomed by Debra, Russ, Armen, and Jim who interviewed me, and their interest in my potential to grow despite my lack of experience and nervousness at the time.”

Sophia is excited to say she made the right choice in joining the Airbus U.S. team and is excited for all the learning and growing to come!