Life as an Intern by Kristen Fenley

I began my second internship with Atec, Inc. this past June. Each morning I have pulled into the parking lot with a big fat “Texas A&M Liberal Arts” sticker on my car, walked into the building, and sat down at my desk in the Contracts department. As a Psychology major working towards a career in counseling, I am not a typical intern one would expect to find in a company that specializes in Aerospace Engineering. However, I have been a part of the Atec family since the day I was born. My father, Paul Fenley, has been working for this company since he graduated from Texas A&M in 1987. Currently, he serves as Atec’s President. Looking back, I have vivid childhood memories of Atec Christmas parties, multiple air shows, and numerous recollections of time spent sitting on my Dad’s lap learning all about planes and their engines.

The summer after my junior year of high school, I was offered an opportunity to help out as an intern during my break from school. Gladly, I accepted the job and became well versed in filing, making copies, and answering phones. This summer, as a soon-to-be junior at TAMU and a veteran intern, I have been given much more responsibility. I now have large projects of my own, a seat on the Communications Committee, and several other important duties. For example, Vice President Brian Durbin placed me in charge of making sure we are registered as a Small Business Supplier with all of our current and potential clients. Along with that project, I have been asked by one of our Contracts Administrators, Nate Craig, to do an audit of our Nondisclosure Agreements and make sure that the ones on file are all up to date. Of course, I have also done my fair share of filing, coffee-making, and shredding as well over the last few months.

While I do not share quite the same love of engineering and all-things aircraft as the vast majority of my fellow employees, one of the things I have loved most about my time here has been learning more and more about the work Atec does. It is truly fascinating what this company is capable of and I have gained a whole new appreciation for the work that goes on here. The entire Atec team has been incredibly obliging and helpful as far as teaching me and showing me the ropes. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from such skilled, intelligent, and gracious people.

As this summer winds down, I am sad to see my time here at Atec come to an end. I have genuinely enjoyed attaining experience working in a professional office setting and getting to be a part of the Atec team. Working here has forced me out of my comfort zone and helped me to grow as both an employee and as a person. This will be beneficial as I pursue my own career. We are a family here and I encourage anyone interested in doing an internship themselves to come and see what we are all about. I am certainly going to miss being here every day, but I am confident I will carry with me all the lessons I have learned into any other jobs and opportunities that lie in my future.