‘Great Experiences’ Gained during our Summer 2024 Barrios Launch Internship Program

Every Summer, Barrios hosts a 12-week internship program for students wanting to pursue a career in the aerospace industry. This year we welcomed 12 interns from around the country, including a couple of returning interns.

Olukunle Akinleye, who received his BS degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in May, is one of our returning interns supporting the Gateway Program on the Human Space Flight Technical Integration Contract (HSFTIC). As a Systems and Integration Engineer intern on the gCAMMP team, he has been focusing on configuration analysis modeling. He says, “My intern experiences this summer have been amazing! A major highlight for me has been my team. Since my arrival, they’ve made me feel comfortable and have pushed me to learn by myself, which has helped me further develop my analyzing skills.

“One thing I’ll take away with me is the importance of teamwork to achieve one goal – where clear communication and a solid understanding of what other groups do is vital. I’d like to thank Cooper Burleson and Jeanette Snyder, who have been an inspiration to me. Both fellow Purdue graduates, I’ve been able to see how they take active steps to form the future they envision for themselves. Cooper and Jeanette are close in age to me and being able to see the growth they’ve achieved has instilled a faith in myself that I too can grow and develop while working with Barrios.”

Brianna Olalekan is our 2024 Patti Grace Smith Fellowship intern who recently graduated from the University of Louisiana – Lafayette with a BS degree in Physics. She joined HSFTIC focusing on consumables and on-board stowage on the International Space Station (ISS). She says her intern experience has been great and that it gave her the opportunity to learn how she works.

“Barrios gave me a safe place to speak freely and be open about things I wasn’t sure about, and the things I found most interesting. It helped me learn where I need improvements and where I need support. I found Barrios to be true to their values and you can see that in every employee you speak with. I am truly happy to be a part of such a hardworking and supportive company.”

Our returning Patti Grace Smith Fellowship intern, Nicholas Olibrice from the University of New Hampshire who has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering says that Barrios has been a great fit because of the supportive and welcoming company culture. “They genuinely take the time to get to know me as an individual and help me grow both professionally and personally, and I feel comfortable asking questions and approaching everyone I’ve interacted with!”

Nicholas spent his time on HSFTIC as a Systems Engineer intern supporting the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and Human Surface Program (EHP). “I’ve been given more opportunities to learn through my project and through other exposure to what work is available across Barrios as a whole. A highlight for me has been my experience shadowing a Flight Controller in the Mission Control Center! I learned a lot about real-time operations for the ISS and met a lot of great people!”

My mentor, Abby Sheriff, has been a great source of inspiration for me during the program. Her ability to balance her workload and take the time to help me learn both as a person and as an employee has been inspirational. She helped remind me of my hopes to be a kind, open, and helpful person overall. She is not only a hard-working, driven employee but also always tries to find solutions not only for herself but for the betterment of the team.”

Jacob Wade, Gateway Spacecraft Systems Engineer on HSFTIC, was a mentor for Olukunle this summer. “Mentoring Kunle has been a very fun and rewarding experience. Being a mentor has involved a lot of onboarding, training, and assisting in technical analyses. The whole gCAMMP team got to participate in his internship and has benefited from his fresh perspective. It has been awesome to see Kunle’s technical capabilities grow over the summer, and I am looking forward to his presentation to a Gateway board coming up next week!”