AE undergraduate student Michaela McBride was recently accepted into the NASA Pathways Internship Program located at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The program provides students a better opportunity for a full-time job after the completion of their internship.
“I have been trying to get a Pathways internship since I started college, so this is the dream of dreams,” McBride said.
Although the application for the program did not require an essay, it did ask for a federal resume, which differs slightly from a typical resume.
“A federal resume can be four or five pages where an industry one is maybe one or two. I had to elaborate more on what my experiences were,” she said. “It also requires a few tests. They’re behavioral tests to assess how you would respond to different situations you might encounter in the workplace.”
In her resume, McBride made sure to mention extracurriculars that were directly related to NASA, as it demonstrated her passion for the type of work the program was looking for.
“They want to see that you're passionate about working at NASA ,” she said. “I am in the Illinois Space Society, so I participated in the NASA RASC-AL team last year. I was also part of the L’SPACE program, where I participated in the Mission Concept Academy. It’s a summer-long systems engineering group project with students across the country.”
As an intern, McBride is part of the RS-25 engine systems team. She is learning to support tests for the Space Launch System vehicle’s engines.
“The RS-25’s were the space shuttle’s main engines, but they're being tested so they can work on the SLS and not for the orbiter. What I do day to day just depends on the day,” she said. “Sometimes I spend the day looking through training resources so I can learn more about how the engine works. Sometimes Pathways interns take tours of different Marshall facilities.”
The other week, McBride and other interns were able to tour the ISS Payload Operations and Integration Center, which is Marshall’s version of mission control.
“The program does so many things, and this is just my first rotation,” McBride said. “I might not be doing this in the summer. The cool thing about pathways is they let you move around and explore different kinds of things you can do at NASA.”
The ages of the other interns McBride works with varies; some are currently sophomores in college, others are graduate students.
“There's an undergraduate program and a graduate program,” she said. “For some, this is their second career. The age range is very wide.”
For those who are worried it might be too late to apply for the program, McBride assures them they have a chance.
“Even if you're a little further down the line of your school career, you could still apply for stuff like this and you still have a shot of getting in,” she said.
The application process took one to two months to complete. McBride had two pieces of advice to give students aiming for the same position she has.
“Firstly, set a challenging goal for yourself and then to pursue it with everything you have, because that persistence really does pay off,” she said. “Secondly, do not view failure as a permanent roadblock, but instead, think of it as an opportunity for learning and growth. I think if you can do those two things, you can be successful. Just don’t give up.”