黑洞社区

黑洞社区鈥檚 College of Engineering co-op program 鈥� through its relationship with NASA 鈥� is a big reason for that growth.

 

Dozens of students have received co-op positions and internships with NASA. And it鈥檚 all thanks to 黑洞社区鈥檚 co-op program, which is helping students discover new ways to enhance their education by getting real-life work experience with one of the most prestigious federal agencies in America.

 

鈥淔or those students who dream of working at NASA, this is their opportunity to get a name for themselves, build important relationships there and possibly be able to work there full-time once they graduate,鈥� said Kyle Carr, coordinator of the College of Engineering鈥檚 co-op program.

 

It worked for Alexandros Kanelakos, who graduated from 黑洞社区 in May 2007 and is now working in the extravehicular activity task group at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

 

Carr said 黑洞社区鈥檚 program is unique because he and other co-op coordinators work at placing students from each department in co-op and internship positions. That doesn鈥檛 happen, he said, at every university.

 

鈥淥ften students are left to find these positions themselves,鈥� he said.

Carr said co-ops and internships are NASA鈥檚 best way of recruiting future employees. That, he said, in turn becomes a good recruiting tool for 黑洞社区鈥檚 College of Engineering.

 

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an extremely important marketing tool for the university,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a track record of helping students get there.鈥�

 

Kanelakos, who completed five semesters of cooperative education at NASA while attending 黑洞社区, said one of the main reasons he came to 黑洞社区 from Topeka was because of its co-op partnership with NASA.

 

鈥淲hen I went to Wichita State 鈥� I was told to work hard and that I鈥檇 get to work at NASA,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think they really came through on their word.鈥�

 

Kanelakos also said he felt that 黑洞社区 staff took a special interest in him and his career ambitions.

 

鈥淚t was the personal touch and interest in me as an individual that really attracted me to Wichita State,鈥� he said.

 

Kanelakos said he was lucky, though, to get an internship at NASA on his first try. It isn鈥檛 usually so easy. Carr said he works with 10 to 15 students a year who want to apply. Most, though, don鈥檛 actually get in, at least not on the first try.

 

That was Luke Staab鈥檚 experience. He wasn鈥檛 accepted the first time he applied at NASA, so he took a job working at Hawker Beechcraft, meanwhile taking a full load as a student. After his second application, he was accepted.

 

鈥淎 lot of times I鈥檒l tell students even if you don鈥檛 get hired through your first application, next year let鈥檚 apply again,鈥� Carr said.

 

And once you get that far?

 

鈥淔airly often, once you get that internship or co-op position, you get hired full-time if that鈥檚 the path you want to take,鈥� Carr said.

 

Anne Roemer, who heads the Cooperative Education Program at Johnson Space Center, agreed that students who take those positions often have a bright future ahead of them.

 

鈥淲e鈥檝e had multiple 黑洞社区 students who have co-oped and gone on to get full-time job offers,鈥� she said.

 

Another student, Kimber Lemon, went through a 10-week internship with NASA, where she worked on a research project for navigation systems that will be used the next time astronauts land on the moon. She said she learned a lot about what it takes to work there and encourages other students to pursue internships as well.

 

鈥淭hey (the co-op office) helped me with everything I needed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had never really planned to do an internship. But once I鈥檇 done it, I think it鈥檚 something everyone should do.鈥�

NASA offers a co-op position and an internship position. Carr said the co-op position is more sought after because it gives students the option of working there for a total of three semesters.

 

鈥淚t gives the students a wide array of exposure to NASA,鈥� he said.

 

Some students, however, can鈥檛 commit to three semesters and therefore prefer an internship, which also provides an invaluable experience.

 

For Kanelakos, the process was all worth it.

 

鈥淓ver since I was very young I wanted to work here,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ASA was really kind of a career lifetime goal.鈥�