James Wright’s work in the Environmental Test Lab for the National Institute for Aviation Research includes measuring salt spray fallout, welding and CAD modeling.
Through each day of his paid internship, one benefit stands out – problem solving. Wright, a Wichita State University senior majoring in aerospace engineering, is from Joplin, Missouri, and works as a mechanical student assistant at NIAR.
“It’s a lot of problem solving,” he said. “I think that it’s vital to learn how to operate in this sort of environment while you’re at school, so that once you make it into the workforce you’re comfortable learning things the hard way and clawing your way up when you’re in a new and unfamiliar situation.”