Blog 7 – Second Interview Preparation

~A photograph of an RQ-4 Global Hawk, an unmanned surveillance aircraft(UAV), manufactured by Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defense company that provides innovative products, systems, and solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide. 

1. Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?
• My mentor is  Dr. Eric Fodran. He works in Prod Ops Manufacturing Technology Development at Northrop Grumman in El Segundo, California. To be honest, I don’t really know much about him or his work because I haven’t met him yet. We’ve only been able to communicate through email because he has been very busy.
2. What five questions will you ask them about their background?
• Where did you go for your college education?
• What did you hope to become? Is this the career you wanted growing up?
• When did you start working in this field?
• Can you tell me about the experiences you’ve had in this field(memorable moments, hardships, etc.)?
• Are there any noticeable patterns with the people who work in this field? What are some of the skills and characteristics required for your work?

Blog 6 – Advisory Prep

~"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." -Arthur C. Clarke

1. What has worked well for you concerning senior project this year?  What has made it a positive experience for you?  
• So far I have had a few things working well for me concerning the senior project. The most important being the amount of research articles and sources I can use. Like my interviewee said, the aerospace industry is bigger than most people think. It is so big that I never really had any difficulties finding research sources. Another thing that has worked well for me is probably the help I am receiving from others regarding my senior topic. Without their help, I probably wouldn't have been able to accomplish much other than research. Meeting people who actually work in the field has made this a positive experience for me. I even enjoy doing research on my own because of the things I learn from it; however, the other sources I use for my senior topic, like my summer mentorship or my interview, has made this whole experience so much better.
2. What are you finding difficult concerning senior project?  How can you adapt to make that portion work better for you?  How might the senior team help?
• The only thing I am finding difficult concerning senior project is probably time and work management. I know this shouldn’t be a problem but I find it hard to keep myself on top of my work. I always do my work and finish on time, but I usually wait until 1 or 2 days before the due date before taking things seriously. I can improve on this by keeping a schedule and actually convincing myself to do my work early. The reason I really want to improve is because I don’t want to make this a habit. Procrastinating only causes stress(for the most part) and lowers the quality of work. I don’t really know how the senior team can help other than making sure we do our work.

Blog 5 – Interview 1 Reflection

~Government procurement, also known as public procurement or public tendering, is the act of obtaining goods or services for a public agency. This form of federal government contracting is the same as private contracting, with the latter being more heavily regulated.

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?
• Prior to this interview, I always thought that finding a mentorship/internship opportunity was impossible for a high school student; however, Kristina Lopez actually told me about how Aerospace companies are always looking for high school and college students who are interested in learning about the Aerospace field. For my other interviews, I would definitely try to be more prepared with more questions. Although I do like how my interview went, I still wish that I was able to ask her more questions.
2. Did I get additional resources and contacts?  What is the most useful?  Why?
• Kristina Lopez, my interviewee, was able to help me find a potential mentor for my senior topic. Although not part of the sound file provided, Kristina also talked about trying to help me find people and places I can approach that will help me with my senior project. Getting additional contacts is probably the most useful because it will greatly help me in finding the necessary resources for my senior project.
3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me?
• Kristina Lopez works at Northrop Grumman to buy aircraft parts for the government. I wasn’t able to ask about her college education or her previous experiences in the aerospace industry because I didn’t know how to ask it in a way that wouldn’t be awkward. I think that she is qualified to help me because she can give me an insight into the military aspect of the aerospace field.

Interview 1 Audio

Interview 1 Text

Blog 4 – House Advisory Prep

~I hope that by the end of the senior project, I will know more about this "magic" that lets airplanes fly.

I see the senior project as an important step in developing the necessary skills that will help me succeed in my life during and after college. I chose aerospace engineering as my senior project topic because I have always wanted to pursue a career in aviation. Through my senior project topic, I am hoping to gain knowledge that will give me a better understanding of the aerospace industry as a whole. I also hope that through the senior topic, I can improve upon the necessary life skills like time management, prioritization, note taking, communication, and organization.

Blog 3 – First Interview Preparation

~Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engine used to power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family of aircraft. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is Boeings most fuel efficient commercial airliner; one of the two different engine models used by the B787 is the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engine. Although not related to the interview, I chose to include this picture in my blog post because of the important role it plays in the Aerospace industry. According to the Rolls Royce website, the Trent 1000 Engines are "shorter, stiffer, lighter and more FOD (Foreign Object Damage) resistant than its equivalent 2 shaft engine." This not only makes the engines for efficient, but also lessens the rate of deterioration the engines face over time.

1. Who do you plan to interview?  Why?
• I plan to interview Kristina Lopez. She works for Northrop Grumman and is in charge of purchasing and doing inventory of airplane parts. Even though Kristina Lopez is not an aerospace engineer, I chose her for my first interview because I want to delve deeper into different sectors of the aerospace industry.
2. Five questions will be assigned to all seniors to ask.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  Ask open-ended questions.  What are open-ended questions? Click here!
• What are some of the most interesting/exciting experiences you’ve had while working here?
• What is the best part of your job?
• What are your thoughts about the growing use of different/more advanced composite materials in commercial aircraft?
• What kind of things should one interested in aviation be looking forward to? (E.g. what kind of classes should a high school student try to take?)
• In what ways do you see improvement in this sector of the aerospace industry?