MCC students gain intern experience
Meridian Community College students Kaydee Patterson and Trey Hardy are set to graduate from the College’s Industrial Maintenance Program in May.
But this past summer they got a jumpstart on their careers by spending 10 weeks interning with Boeing, the global aerospace company that develops, manufactures, and services commercial airplanes, defense products, and space systems. The company employs more than 170,000 people.
Patterson, 19, of Lauderdale, and Hardy, 20, of Meridian, spent their summer shadowing maintenance crews in Boeing’s facility in Seattle, Washington, and they both agree the experience was invaluable.
“We worked in different parts of the plant and learned how important communication is when you’re working with a big team,” Hardy said, adding, “If you have poor communication, you can’t get anything done.”
Patterson, who enjoys working with her hands, noted the opportunity to work side-by-side with experienced professionals was an opportunity to gain additional knowledge in the field.
“You’re never just learning one thing. You’re always cycling around doing reactive and proactive work,” Hardy said.
Their work schedule was from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Both agree the experience at Boeing was worth the effort but noted the living expenses in the Seattle area were expensive. The Seattle Times newspaper, in citing the Bureau of Economic Analysis, noted the high cost of housing in Seattle made it one of the priciest cities in the country to live in. “The prices were similar to California,” Patterson noted.
“But it’s beautiful there; you have the mountains, you have the beach,” Hardy said about the Northwest’s geography. And since other students from across the country were interning as Patterson and Hardy were, the MCCers made friends and work connections.
So, what are their plans for the future after graduation? Something close to home, the two noted. But they’ll have job experience to list on their resumes.
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu/workforce.