#AEROINTERN
“Did I make the right decision?”: My first month as an Aerospace intern
Getting an internship is (arguably) one of the best moments in a student’s career. After rounds of applications and interviews and balancing classes, it’s exhilarating to finally cross that finish line, summer internship offer in hand and the semester behind you.
The moment I received my offer for a strategic communications internship with The Aerospace Corporation is a vivid memory. Although I did not know what to expect, I knew my outlook on my life and future career would change if I accepted the offer. I took a few days to consider my options and what this internship would entail and sent in my acceptance.
Everything about this internship is outside of my comfort zone.
It meant leaving my home state of Louisiana to be closer to Aerospace’s Los Angeles-area headquarters. Additionally, working in the space industry — both are worlds different from anything I am used to. “Did I bite off more than I could chew?” is a question that followed me for months. Although I had so much uncertainty leading up to my first day, all my anxiety was put to rest by the end of my first week.
On day one, I met four other first-time Aerospace interns who are in similar situations as mine. We bonded over our shared newfound love of California and the excitement for our first day on campus. During the remainder of that week, I got a taste of the intern community that I will be surrounded by for the summer.
Despite differences in educational backgrounds, career interests, ages, and even geography, we were all excited to meet, build connections and grow professionally. We eat lunch together daily and have created group chats to plan after-hour hangouts. Although I am one of the few business interns in a corporation that mainly hires interns who want to work in a STEM field, I always feel like I fit in just right.
“Over the summer, I’ll be working on sharing the experiences of our summer technical interns on this blog and occasionally contributing to Aerospace’s social media.”
The immediate sense of community was exactly what I needed. It has provided me with an outlet from work and given me people I can count on for support. It is everything I had hoped for when I boarded the plane to Los Angeles. Aside from the exciting social side of the internship, the work side is also just as fantastic.
This is my first time working in corporate communications. Joining the corporate world is a large departure from my previous experiences working in newsrooms. Writing about space in a digestible manner is a learning curve I’m still trying to grasp. However, it’s proving to be a crash course in understanding everything that’s happening in the space industry.
This internship is a far cry from what I am used to — however, that is what makes this experience so invaluable. So far this month, I’ve been thrown into writing pitches and communications plans and assisting with video production for a new campaign. Over the summer, I’ll be working on sharing the experiences of our summer technical interns on this blog and occasionally contributing to Aerospace’s social media.
After interning for nearly a month, it’s safe to say that I will probably be tasked with unfamiliar assignments on the regular. While it’s something that makes me nervous, it’s a feeling that I’m learning to embrace.
Being too comfortable doesn’t encourage growth.
Everything about my experience with Aerospace has been unlike any other. However, it’s a welcome challenge that I am confident will help me become a stronger communicator and prepare me for a career in the corporate world. I have felt many emotions since starting this journey, but one emotion I haven’t felt is regret. Although there have been challenges, I made the best choice when I accepted the offer to spend my summer here.
Luckily, this is just the beginning of my internship and these blog posts! Follow along to keep up with my internship experience as I Take my Place in Space!
About the Intern
Hi, I’m Brooke Bell! I’m the strategic communications intern at The Aerospace Corporation for Summer 2023. Outside of being an #aerointern, I’m also a senior mass communications major at Louisiana State University. Joining Aerospace has been a wild, exciting, and rewarding experience. I’m sharing all the details about applications and the internship experience this summer on Medium!
To learn more about the internship program and Aerospace, follow us on Instagram.
