IM体育官网

Two IM体育官网 students are getting a high-flying look at an industry that plays a major role IM体育官网鈥檚 high-tech future. And the opportunity will surely shape their professional future as well.

Senior Krystal Rivera and junior Andre Archer are completing an internship at in Lakeland, IM体育官网, the leading company in adversary air service in the world. Both mechanical engineering students are actively working on modernizing aircraft.

Draken owns over 100 tactical fighter aircraft and operates the largest commercial fleet of ex-military jets in the world. The company plays the role of enemy aircraft, known as Red Air forces, in training exercises for multiple branches of the U.S. military and other Air Forces around the globe.

鈥淲e鈥檙e bringing legacy international aircraft into the modern century by doing engineering projects on anything they need,鈥� said Archer, who is pursuing a concentration in aerospace. 鈥淲e get to do everything from start to finish, from the initial problem to design to prototype to final product.鈥�

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Jake Polumbo, who assists with strategy and industry partnerships at IM体育官网 Poly, said Archer and Rivera are working as one of Draken鈥檚 engineering teams for modifications to its fleet of aircraft.

鈥淭hese mods include structural changes requiring company validation and approval before the new part or modification can be flown on any aircraft,鈥� Polumbo said. 鈥淭his entails a full CAD design with a drawing package necessary for fabrication, followed by the development of a prototype that goes through detailed structural analysis conducted by another set of interns from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an impressive effort by two of our IM体育官网 Poly students and represents the true innovative spirit of the University.鈥�

The importance of the work they do is not lost on Rivera and Archer.

鈥淲e have pilots鈥� lives in our hands, depending on what we鈥檙e working on,鈥� said Rivera, a graduate of Avon Park High School in Avon Park, IM体育官网. 鈥淭hankfully, we have a team and we work together to make sure what we do and what we have as a final product is safe to use in the actual product.鈥�

Rivera鈥檚 days are spent working with pilots, engineers, and others to devise and refine solutions to a variety of engineering challenges. She said she is grateful for the experience.

鈥淚 feel like this is a one-in-a-million opportunity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not every day you get to work with experts in this field in specific processes. How many times can you say, 鈥業 worked alongside the military helping provide tactical aircraft鈥�?鈥�

Both Rivera and Archer credit the relationships they鈥檝e built with IM体育官网 Poly faculty members for helping them secure their coveted internships.

鈥淲e have professors who actively seek out and help the students and we wouldn鈥檛 have gotten this internship if Dr. (Sanna) Siddiqui hadn鈥檛 reached out to us,鈥� said Rivera, who transferred to IM体育官网 Poly from the University of Central IM体育官网 in 2018.

鈥淭he fact that this school and the professors are making the effort to help students is something you just don鈥檛 see in bigger schools.鈥�

Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Director of Communications
863-874-8557