Name: Allison Feeney

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Textron Systems

Position Title: Program Management

Major(s)/Minor(s): Financial Economics and American Studies

Expected Graduation Year: May 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op,  or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I interned for Textron Systems in their Performance Based Logistics office, which supports new equipment training for the Army and the Marine Corps. I assisted their Program Manager by preparing a number of documents in support of Textron’s UAV program contracts with the U.S. and International governments, such as Objective Quality Evidence Academic, Flight, and Equipment reports for New Equipment Training Iterations, Exit Criteria Memos, and Closeout documentation for DCMA and Quality reviews to facilitate sales of $4 million. In addition, I initiated project set up of two UAV international programs, submitted revenue forecasts for New Equipment Training and Reset Technical Inspections, and prepared pricing and estimating reports. I also prepared and analyzed Field Service Customer Requests supporting Shadow’s Field Service Single Integrated Operational Plan. In addition, I learned how to use Oracle and ProPricer, two systems which are commonly used in businesses.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

In preparation for the Career Center’s Summer Job & Internship Fair, I met with a counselor at the Career Center who helped me improve the formatting and content of my resume. Then, while attending the Internship Fair at UMBC, I stopped by Textron's table. I gave them my resume and talked to one of their representatives, who scheduled me for an interview on-campus the next day. Before the interview, I applied for three positions with Textron. A few weeks after that interview, I had a phone interview with the woman who would end up being my supervisor with Textron. She asked me a few questions based off of my resume and explained her responsibilities with the company to give me an idea of what my internship would entail. A few days later, I was emailed my internship offer! Overall, it was a relatively easy process

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

My internship exposed me to government contracting and program management, both of which I had previously never considered for a career path. It was really interesting to learn about both. Plus the UAVs in the room next to my office were pretty cool too! The field of of program management interests me because it allows me to apply the concepts I have learned in my finance classes while also interacting with people.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

During my internship,I provided support to the programs that train soldiers with the equipment they use during combat. It was very easy to see how the work I did went towards ensuring the security of our country.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

Be open to interning in other areas of work besides what you have in mind. There are so many different career paths within your field of study, many of which you have never even considered.

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