For the second year in a row, Citadel Career Center received a $30,000 grant from Boeing to help cadets and students pursue internships that will help them achieve their professional aspirations. To celebrate their accomplishments, the Career Center held an appreciation event to give the cadets and students, as well as their job site supervisors, an opportunity to discuss their summer and fall internship experiences.
This year we saw a diverse representation of majors: supply chain management, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, criminal justice, exercise science, finance, marketing and business development, and psychology — from 14 different cadets and students.
“We would not be able to serve our students without this scholarship. Our students go through college, the military and a whole bunch of other things, so it’s amazing to find time in their busy schedules for internship opportunities — they’re a reflection of this institution,” said Susan Pope, internship coordinator for the Career Center. “In terms of the event, it was a great opportunity to bring all these talents together in one space and learn about their individual internships through the financial opportunity provided by our neighbor and investor, Boeing.”
Cadet Andrew Hanson, a graduate student in civil engineering, worked with Ph.D. Scott Curtis, professor and director Near the Center for Climate Studies. His internship involved research, specifically focused on heat in the Gadsden Green area. The purpose of this research was to see if the weather in this neighborhood is different or similar to the surrounding areas and how to combat heat related problems in the area.
Veteran student Ashlyn Howard also had an internship on campus — she interned in The Citadel’s Office of Communications and Marketing, where her experience as a student veteran came in handy. Howard has worked on marketing campaigns for veterans and active duty students, including digital advertising, focus groups, photo shoots and working with third party vendors.
“It’s been exciting, I’m sad to be leaving when I graduate, but I’ve gained so much experience through this internship,” Howard said.
Cadet Austin Brown interned in the Citadel’s Facilities and Engineering Department, where he assisted with work orders, attended meetings, and more. Brown is featured on the official Citadel website Instagram page discussing his internship experience with the department, which included helping maintain the solar panels on top of the new Capers Hall. During the event, Brown talked about how his internship was one of the biggest learning experiences of his cadet career.
Cadet Brianna Owens, a criminal justice major, interned with the Isle of Palms Police Department and said the experience pushed her further on her path to a career in law enforcement. While Owens’ job involved a lot of studying and paperwork, she was also able to work on several events within the Isle of Palms community to strengthen the bond between officers and residents.
Bricee McEntire, a graduate student at The Citadel pursuing a master’s degree in clinical counseling, interned at local private practice Empowered Family SC. McEntire was able to work with children, attended the Lowcountry Mental Health Conference and gained invaluable experience in her field.
“I want to thank the Career Center and Boeing — I’ve seen what this grant can do for other students and cadets and for the mental health field. It’s hard to find a paid internship, so a paid internship is a huge plus for my experience,” said McEntire.
Chad Sanders is a veteran student majoring in electrical engineering. He interned at the Naval Information Warfare Center, or NIWC. He worked with the US Marine Corps Electronic Security Systems Laboratory where they tested and advised on what technology would be suitable for Marine Corps security systems. Sanders said that as a Marine Corps veteran, this internship experience felt like home.
Cadet Evans Banks, a chemistry major, plans to attend dental school after graduation. As part of Boeing’s grant, he was able to intern at North Charleston Dental Outreach and gain clinical hours for his work there. Banks has worked in the sanitation department assisting doctors and is excited to continue his work.
“Sometimes, as a cadet, your life can be boring – this is not boring. I go every Thursday and it really makes me happy. This paper is interesting, it helps me prepare for my future and it gives me information about what my future career could be. This internship gives me hands-on experience and I can interact and connect with parts of the community that I never had before. Experiences last a lifetime. To Boeing, thank you very much,” Banks said.
Cadet Frederick Vogel interned in two different areas – at the Veterans Affairs office, he interacted with dementia patients and shadowed a doctor in a clinic, and at the Rhodes Engineering Research Center, he learned about independent component analysis and how audio data is structured and modified.
Another student veteran who received an internship through a Boeing scholarship was Kaid Kravat. Kravat interned at Defense Engineering Services, or DES, where he said his engineering assignments were balanced between computer-aided design, research work and hands-on shop work.
“I was initially tasked with developing test plans for the alternator design,” said Kravat. “The combination of mental and physical work was very pleasant and fit well with my natural work. Overall, DES provided an excellent learning experience and insight into the working life of an engineer in the real world. The company had great morale, leadership, work ethic and friendliness. I really enjoyed being part of the team.”
Through her internship, cadet Madeline Schmuck improved biodiversity within the historic longleaf pine ecosystem. The aim of the research in which Schmuck participated was to introduce native species to the area using seed balls. Through this experience, Schmuck was able to use her biology degree in a real-world setting.
Cadet Matthew Beitel interned with the South Carolina Port Authority. Beitel mostly worked in breakbulk operations, which is the handling and transportation of cargo that is not in containers. During his time there, Beitel imported sprinter vans and heavy machinery, and exported BMW and Volvo vehicles.
Rohan Shah is a final undergraduate student currently interning at The Beach Company Real Estate Funds. Shah had the opportunity to tour the site for the potential acquisition, where he also helped with a thorough appraisal of the property, created an investment book and letter of intent for investors, and created parts of the financial model.
Cadet Taylor Davis is interning at Shifa Healthcare, a clinic that provides medical care to uninsured patients. This clinic also works with local organizations to provide families with nutritious food. In addition to the clinic, Davis also interned with Krause Center Citadel. She helped with WarriorWOD, a program that emphasizes helping veterans with their fitness, nutrition and mentorship.
Cadet Zoe Crecos also interned at the Krause Center. Her responsibilities were recruiting and advertising, which largely included manning the Krause Center event desk, creating flyers and planning events. Each Krause Center intern plans at least one community service event and supervises cadets volunteering at the event, as well as communicating with a community partner. Crecos recently started helping WarriorWOD also, helping with social media and corporate donation outreach.
Several internship supervisors also attended the event. They spoke about the caliber of work and details that Citadel cadets and students brought to their workplaces and thanked Boeing for their partnership. Phil Reichner, Director of Marketing in The Citadel’s Communications and Marketing Department, spoke about his experience working with Boeing grant recipient Ashlyn Howard.
“Everything Ashlyn has done adds authenticity to what we do as an institution. This kind of talent is rare. The talent I have seen in our Corps of Cadets, our student veterans and others is incredible. Thank you to our partners at Boeing — your generosity makes it possible for students like her to come work for us,” said Reichner.
“Our investment in the community has three pillars, which are our home, our heroes and our future. It is obvious why the Citadel is a target for all three. Even though this is the second year, I’ve heard a lot of firsts, which is great, and the one word I can think of is just impressive,” said Bobby Houck, Class of 2019, chief of staff at Boeing.
In addition to the cadets and students who will benefit from the Boeing scholarship, two faculty members will also receive funding that will support research projects. Scott Curtis, Ph.D., and Sergey Ponomarov, Ph.D., were on hand to discuss the important work the grant will help them continue.
“We can’t do this work without partners like Boeing — this type of grant is a game changer. This work, what it is about, was a support for our local community and our state. I think it’s amazing how the diversity of majors has such an impact on so many areas. I am truly grateful for the work you all provide, not only as a company but for us as a community,” said Jennifer Santoro Cleveland, director of the Career Center.
