Materials Engineering Internship Story: Jacobs Space Exploration Group

Mason Holtcamp

Materials Engineering

Where did you intern?

I worked for Jacobs Space Exploration Group (JSEG) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

How did you find and apply for your internship?

I met a Jacobs hiring manager at an engineering career fair here at Auburn. She then forwarded my resume to my supervisor at JSEG.

What was the application process like?

I had applied for a couple other Jacobs internships, but did not hear back from either of those. Then I got an email from my supervisor saying that he would be able to take on an intern for the summer and offered me to apply for the role.

Tell us about your internship experience. What types of tasks and projects did you engage in? Was there a particular project or part of the experience you learned the most from?

I was a Materials Science and Metallurgy Intern. I mostly did metallography throughout the summer. I was able to use some very nice equipment and make professional connections with experts in this field.

In what ways did this internship help you prepare for your next destination after Auburn?

Much of what I learned is applicable to the lab work I do here at Auburn, as well as my future work at The Redstone Test Center.

In what ways did your coursework or other experiences at Auburn prepare you for your internships? Are there specific topics or skills you learned from classes that you put into practice on the job

My coursework gave me a foundation of materials science knowledge that I constantly recalled throughout the internship. Being a part of research at Auburn taught me how to use equipment that I used throughout the entire summer.

Do you have any advice for other students looking for internships like yours?

My main piece of advice, if you want to work in a lab setting, is to get lab experience at Auburn. I believe that is the main thing on my resume that set me apart from the rest of the candidates. The hands on experience in the lab at Auburn translates extremely well to an internship in the same field.