Aviation for Women is the flagship member publication of Women in Aviation International. Articles feature women who have made aviation history, professional development ideas, and current-topic articles.
Issue link: https://afwdigital.epubxp.com/i/638688
72 Aviation forWomen M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 6 as the summer progressed I realized that it was a feld seri- ously worth considering. The internship gave me writing and editing experience but also an opportunity to do so much more. I helped grow the company's social media presence and assisted in the develop- ment of a company social media policy. I helped jump-start employee feature sections on the internal company website, writing stories about employee travel adventures, weekly up- dates, and more. Among all this, my favorite part of the in- ternship is the variety of people I have met across the country who are passionate about their work. They have amazing sto- ries, and it was my job to share them! Ultimately, throughout this internship I gained confdence in my writing and interviewing skills, developed valuable communication strategies and professional skills, and learned the important role corporate communications plays for a com- pany. My advice is no matter what year you are in school, it's never too early to consider an internship. Don't let the chance to learn pass you by. ; B A I L E Y G O R I N Indiana State University Major: Aviation with a minor in Unmanned Aircraft Systems L ast fall I took a class at ISU that required you to attend AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Little did I know that class would forever change my career path. I knew I wanted to fy for an airline, but I didn't exactly know where or how I would start. While attending the annual Oshkosh event, I met John Kelleher, manager of fight standards for Republic Airlines, and Steve Dalton, manager of AQP for Republic Airlines, on a Republic Embraer 190 they few in for the air show. I kept in touch with John and Steve through e-mail throughout the school year, and in January I submitted my résumé after they encouraged me to apply for a summer internship. Within days I received a phone call for an in-person inter- view. John, Steve, and Ed Bagden, assistant manager of fight operations, asked me questions about the airline, me, and my experiences. A lot of the questions focused on my decision- making skills and how I would react to tough situations. Af- ter the interview I knew I wanted the internship more than anything, because I knew it would help me on my career path and that I'd be working with professionals who were passion- ate about their jobs and their company. I knew I'd learn a lot from them. Fortunately, they offered me the intern position, and the three of them since have taught me invaluable lessons in avi- ation and about working in a corporate office. If there was something I didn't understand, they would give me further explanation and give me support on each project I worked on. This summer internship helped me decide that Republic Air- ways was the perfect place to launch my aviation career. As the company's first female flight operations intern, I wanted to leave a mark on this airline. I did that through Paige with manager Scott Thien Bailey Bailey