Unforeseen Advice

I walked into the Space Tango office with my usual to-do list of intern tasks, but I didn’t know that I would be adding new goals – like starting a retirement fund.

I’m only 21 going on 22 and my mentor is 25, but she said that she’s already begun saving and there’s no reason I shouldn’t also. Before I knew it, it was the Morning Show with Ellie and I was receiving the most helpful advice since I started working at Space Tango.

Ellie, along with the occasional input from other coworkers, told me about their saving plans, credit scores, and we even talked about stocks a little. These are all things you don’t really learn unless the “right time” comes around. I just didn’t think it would be in the Space Tango office.

I’m a Communication and Marketing intern and I have 6 weeks left. I expected to gain first-hand experience on advertising, public relations, and business tactics in the aerospace industry. In the time that I have been here, I learned more than I expected. My coworkers have shown me not only the reality of the aerospace industry, but the reality of being an adult. The Space Tango team takes the time to make sure I’m adjusting well to a new environment because they understand that at one point this was all new to them as well.

CEO Twyman Clements takes a break from reorganizing the office to show me microscope glasses.

CEO Twyman Clements takes a break from reorganizing the office to show me microscope glasses.

When I began my internship, all of my questions were oriented towards my area of study, but I have to remind myself that my mentors are just people. They can provide more than just feedback on your work, but a new perspective on life. What should we really be paying attention to? Why do we work as hard as we do?

There’s so much more to take into consideration then we think, and it’s a lot easier to have the people that have gone through it tell you how it went than figuring it all out on your own. I’m not alone, and being an intern isn’t unfamiliar. We all have to start somewhere, so don’t be too serious. Ask questions outside of school and work. Learn about the people around you and it may just start to feel a little like home.

⋆ Dani

New Location, New Experiences

“Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. It may get tough, but it’s a small price to pay for living a dream” -Peter McWilliams

This quote has been my motto ever since my senior year of high school, when I decided I wanted to go to school in Florida… 3, 140 miles away from my home in Lake Tapps, WA. Most of my friends were choosing to attend colleges either in the state of Washington or in the surrounding states. Everyone thought I was crazy for wanting to go to school all the way across the country, but this quote is what gave me the faith to pursue my dreams and move to Daytona Beach.

Throughout my first four months of college, I can tell you that I have been uncomfortable many times. But being uncomfortable in this case does not have to have a negative connotation. I believe that being uncomfortable can also mean living outside of our comfort zone, and I am a strong believer that stepping out of our comfort zone is what helps us to truly experience growth as a person.

Making the decision to attend ERAU in Daytona Beach has been the biggest and most difficult decision of my life so far, but I am positive that I made the right decision by coming here. I am able to pursue my major, which is Aviation Business Administration, and also network with so many people who are high-up in the aviation industry. Embry-Riddle provides so many opportunities for students to meet with industry professionals and the Career Expo is just one of them. Had I not come to ERAU, I am certain I would not be holding conversations with professionals who are high up in the aviation industry, especially as a first semester freshman!

My suite mates and I at the Career Expo on campus.

My suite mates and I at the Career Expo on campus.

Not only do I love my school and all the academic opportunities that are available here, but I also love to experience new things. By coming to ERAU, I have been able to do so many things that I never would have been able to do if I went to any other university. These are just a few examples…

The Florida coastline from 3000 ft above.

The Florida coastline from 3000 ft above.

Here at ERAU, flying is in our DNA. Even though I am not a pilot, I still have a passion for aviation. There is something so freeing about being thousands of feet above, looking down and seeing the buildings get smaller and smaller, and then looking to your left and to your right and watching the clouds float past your window.

I want to give you a peek at some of my experiences I have had throughout my first semester…

Me standing on the Daytona International Speedway finish line.

Me standing on the Daytona International Speedway finish line.

The USAF Thunderbirds flying over the beach for the Wings and Waves Air Show.

The USAF Thunderbirds flying over the beach for the Wings and Waves Air Show.

 

I got to stand in front of a C-17 at the NAS JAX Air Show.

Me standing in front of a C-17 at the NAS JAX Air Show.

I went boogie boarding at Ponce Inlet.

I went boogie boarding at Ponce Inlet.

 

I got to tour the observatory at ERAU and see the telescope on top of the COAS building.

I was able to see the ERAU telescope on top of the COAS building.

The original ERAU Waco.

The original ERAU Waco.

I got to spend a day at the "Happiest Place on Earth".

I got to spend a day at the “Happiest Place on Earth”.

I am so glad that I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and attend ERAU. Peter McWilliams’ quote has held true for me throughout my first semester. Taking the risk of moving across the country, starting a new life, and beginning university is a daunting task for anyone, but it has definitely been worth all of the experiences I have already had, and will continue to have here in Florida. I am completely in love with my new life here at Embry-Riddle and I know that even though I am continuing to push myself to live outside my comfort zone, “it’s a small price to pay for living a dream”.

 

 

 

 

June 25

Wednesday, and everything is still great.

The weeks have been going fast. I have been spending every day on the RHOV project learning every aspect of the vehicle’s design and the simulation. Having gone from never even seen a hydrodynamic coefficient to being one of the main personnel working on the project has been quite an experience. I now spend my days working with the other engineers as a peer: attending scheduling meetings, calling vendors, and independently providing results for crucial parts of the project. This internship is providing me with more professional experience than I thought possible with my, so far, limited education

Outside of work has also been excellent. My roommate, who is a project manager here, and I go running every morning before work. I also met a few people through friends in work with sailboats and motor boats and have regular invitations to go out on the weekends. Someone I work just across from also has a boat and is an avid scuba diver so we started talking about going out diving and it seems like it will turn into a regular weekend activity. The internship administrator also has a couple of BBQ’s and fun days out on the island in the river planned for us so there is no shortage of time to relax and enjoy the area.

There is another ‘lunch and learn’ today. This one is about underwater rocketry which I am really excited to hear about. I had never even really thought about the idea before and will be really interested to learn about how people solve all the problems of moving so fast underwater.

This week has been somewhat difficult because I started out tired. I had flown up to NJ to see my mom for her retirement party which was awesome. I got to see tons of family and friends and neighbors I haven’t seen in a while. On the flight back on Sunday afternoon though, my plane was delayed for about six hours having me end up getting back to sleep in Florida at about two in the morning. I am slowly recovering and the flex time helps me out with letting me be lazy when I want to and work less some days.

The internship ‘family’ has also grown over the course of the summer. We started out as six of us together but so far I think maybe six more college level interns have started work, as well as three high school interns from a nearby school. It’s almost getting hard to remember everyone but luckily we all see each other a couple times a week for either work or fun.

Well I must go back to playing with my toy submarine to help me visualize coordinate systems and simulation parameters. Have fun!

P.S.: I learned that underwater rockets use a blunt nose to create a bubble of low pressure water which spontaneously boils creating a cloud of vapor around the rocket so its moving through a cloud of gas, not liquid, reducing drag by almost a 1000 times! Only rockets can do this because you must first get up to at least 70 knots to begin to stabilize the effect.