Investing in STEM: Internship Program
Leonardo Electronics US provides experiential learning opportunities through our paid internships. We are highly committed to the future young workers of America who are just starting their path to a successful career. Leonardo aims to facilitate students’ interests in STEM subjects and encourages them to pursue a career in the field. Our internships allow students to gain hands-on experience with real-world projects, allowing them to make a meaningful impact on the company’s projects and overall objectives. Interns will join their voices with a community of talented professionals who value and respect each other’s ideas and unique perspectives.
Internships are available throughout the calendar year for undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in a related engineering program. Internships are available in the following areas: Industrial, Marketing, Mechanical Design, Optical, Electrical, Test, and Product Development.
Are you interested in gaining hands-on experience? Apply for a Leonardo Electronics US internship.
Meet Our Interns
Discover the inspiring journeys of individuals who launched their careers at Leonardo Electronics US Inc. as interns, spanning engineering, manufacturing, and business.
Zack Gruber
How has the mentorship you received at Leonardo shaped your career goals?
The mentorship I have received here has shaped my career goals by showing me what it is like to work in industry and in a team environment, which has made me want to continue working in similar industries and have similar positive experiences to what I've had at Leonardo.
What advice would you give to an incoming intern who is considering applying?
Come in ready to learn; there are many people here who can provide knowledge you may not pick up anywhere else.
Jonathan Hong
Most students struggle to see how STEM comes alive in the real world; can you identify how you use it in your day-to-day?
I think most people see STEM as primarily an academic endeavor, but I'd like to think it's more of an experimental, iterative approach. With a STEM mindset, you're always trying new strategies, failing, and continually updating your approach until you get somewhere satisfactory. I rarely find the answer immediately, even after implementing it, and some approaches are entirely wrong, but they're informative processes that help you reach the correct answer. For example, I was tasked with correcting lens distortion, and I had to try multiple different approaches, and each one failed. But after trying new things for two weeks, one of the methods I went back and forth with finally worked because I was determined to keep trying new and different things in response to failure.
What advice would you give to an incoming intern who is considering applying?
My main advice to an incoming intern would be to tailor your experience to what you want to learn. I feel like interns get so preoccupied with getting work done and making sure you do what your employer wants, but the most important thing about the internship isn't producing quality work; it's the invaluable learning experience you gain along the way. Go beyond and learn what you find to be interesting, even if it might not be the best path or seems wildly unrelated. You'll find that things are much more connected than they seem at first. Also, learn how to ask good questions.
Sofia Aguillon
Most students struggle to see how STEM comes alive in the real world; can you identify how you use it in your day-to-day?
In my time working here, I have seen a lot of topics I've learned about in school being used. I use polynomial-fitting equations every day to fit PL graphs and apply basic chemistry concepts to better understand what I'm working on. I think I also struggled with imagining how my schoolwork would translate into real-world applications, but in my short time here I've seen engineers use topics I've learned about in their everyday work, and it makes those basic topics seem that much more important to understand.
What projects did you work on?
This summer, I worked on improving predictions of lasing wavelength in laser bars at the UMB level by using numerical fits on real spectra instead of the current method, which isn't as accurate as we'd like. Along with this, I am creating charts and models that reflect the quantum well's characteristics so we can further predict factors more confidently.
Andrew Ostler
Most students struggle to see how STEM comes alive in the real world; can you identify how you use it in your day-to-day?
Obviously, specifics of the applications will differ depending on your job and other factors. But the major applications I’ve found have been in the way I think about the world and approach problems. STEM involves a lot of critical thinking, identifying influential factors in various situations, theorizing how things work- all valuable thought patterns in any sort of situation.
Would you recommend an internship and why?
Definitely. It’s been a great opportunity to watch the scientific process in a professional setting, identify my weaknesses, and learn how to design and conduct my own experiments. I’ve really enjoyed learning in a setting that isn’t a classroom and seeing that knowledge get applied directly to the work we’re doing.
Robert “Bobby” Sulzbach
What kind of projects have you been working on this time around? Are these projects related to last year’s projects?
I worked on three projects. One is building a system and running tests to find more cost-effective, efficient filters for laser cooling setups. I started this with another intern last year, but we ran out of time to finish it. This year, I completely redesigned the system, got it up and running, and have been running tests for the past few weeks. I’m also working on designing a specialized box to hold and preheat lenses while they are smoothed with a laser. My final project is improving a previous design for an optical table mover.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone doing this internship for the first time?
I’d say take advantage of opportunities to learn about things outside of your immediate projects, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are a lot of really cool projects and things to explore in the facility, so being curious will make the experience more valuable.
Loudenridge Sundling
Most students struggle to see how STEM comes alive in the real world; can you identify how you use it in your day-to-day?
At work, I do a lot of math. I think it changes the way I view the world. A lot of people make judgments based on what they see, but they don’t have a good perception of statistics. Understanding statistics, mathematics, and even physics changes the way I look at how and why things happen. When it comes to my major, I try to notice anything with light, like weird light phenomena in my day-to-day, and I try to characterize them based on the information I know.
Has anything happened during the internship that surprised you?
My last internship was with the government, working directly in a Navy division. They didn’t let me do my own work or contribute to projects. At Leonardo, being able to contribute to a project someone’s working on makes me feel more important.
Leonardo Electronics US Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.