By Miriam Rodriguez

WSMR Public Affairs

The White Sands Missile Range STEM Summer Intern program kicked off with a briefing to welcome participating students June 6 at the Cox Range Control Center.

STEM Summer Intern program kicks off

The White Sands Missile Range STEM Summer Intern program kicked off with a briefing to welcome participating students June 6 at the Cox Range Control Center.

Seven students will be part of the 10-week program sponsored by Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) under the Department of Defense.

WSMR Site Coordinator Saul S. Rangel said he wants to make sure the students gain valuable experience while in the program.

“I want them to grow and develop in their disciplines and in their work peer relationships.”

He said he wants them to keep in mind ethical conduct as they go through their projects and in the interactions with their peers and mentors.

“We also hope to gain some value for the organization with the projects they will be working on.”

Consuelo Ramirez, a senior at UTEP majoring in computer science with a minor in math, said she found out about the program through a previous intern.

Ramirez said her goal during the 10-week program is to learn.

“I have a huge interest in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, database, and wireless networks, and I want to get a grasp of the real-world situation and find my niche.”

Jesus Navarro, a senior at UTEP studying mechanical engineering, said he found out about the program through a job program at UTEP last year and is a returning this year.

He said last year was his first internship and is happy about the real-world experience he gained.

“This year I want to be able to do more in my field of study and focus on my degree program.”

Nathan Rydecki, a senior at NMSU majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace engineering, said he found out about the program through one of the student organizations on campus.

“I want to learn new skills. I want to see and do things that I wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else. I hope to gain the experience to help kick start my career.”

The students will be guided by mentors to include Alex Zubiate, Stephen Squires, Andrew Brennand and Guadalupe Soliz.

The rest of the students include Timothy Peasha, California State University, Fresno; Diego Montoya, NMSU; Sebastian Del Campo, UTEP; and Elise Flachs, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

The TRMC STEM Internship program started at WSMR in 2013.