Business students participate in internship program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Raj Soin College of Business students Patrick Lockhart, left, Maegen Moogalian and Joseph Traynor participated in the 2022 Premier College Internship Program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Four students from Wright State University’s Raj Soin College of Business successfully completed the 2022 Premier College Internship Program (PCIP) this summer.

PCIP is a program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base through the Air Force Civilian Service. Undergraduate students in their junior or senior year or graduate students who have completed at least one year of a full-time graduate program are eligible to apply.

The program offers a full-time paid summer internship with the potential to lead to a permanent civilian position in the PALACE Acquire/Copper Cap or a similar program.

Shu Schiller, Ph.D., professor of information systems and associate dean of the Raj Soin College of Business, said the college is committed to promoting career opportunities in the local defense and government community.

Many business graduates have advanced to significant positions at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Premier College Internship Program is one of many avenues that have supported business students to jump-start their career paths at the base.

Joseph Traynor, a senior majoring in business economics, said he encourages any student seeking a career in civil service to consider participating in the program.

“The PCIP program allows participants to not only decide whether a career in civil service is right for them but also get a head start on their civil service career should they choose that path,” he said. You also get to experience the great culture they have in the Air Force.”

Traynor plans to pursue a master’s degree in economics and is considering continuing to work for the Air Force by participating in the PALACE Acquire program.

Jessica Congi plans to transition her internship to a full-time job as a contract specialist at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Patrick Lockhart, a graduate student in the Master of Science in Social and Applied Economics program, interned with the KC-46 Pegasus program. The KC-46 Pegasus is the Air Force’s new aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft manufactured by Boeing.

As a Marine Corps infantry veteran, Lockhart had experience working in the military. However, he said the internship helped to hone his professional business skills.

“PCIP opened my eyes to teamwork and problem-solving in the business world, as well as the relationship between private industry and the government,” he said. “I was also able to utilize and become more confident with the knowledge I received from my undergraduate degree.”

Lockhart plans to finish his graduate degree and has accepted an offer to return to the KC-46 Pegasus team as a full-time logistician.

Jessica Congi, a senior and dual business and human resource management major, worked in the PZIBA office making purchases for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Hospital. Congi assisted with a number of contracts by helping with market research and learning as much as possible about the contracting systems, laws and regulations, as well as achieving a $45,000 contract by the end of her 12-week internship.

Congi plans to transition her internship to full-time employment as a contract specialist at the base.

Maegen L. Moogalian, a human resource management and business management student, said her time with the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures program office was exciting. As a former military aircraft mechanic, she said it gave her a chance to see the other side of things.

“I had an amazing trainer, and I know that my internship was 100 percent better than what I expected it to be because she made sure that I was being utilized,” Moogalian said. “She took the time to train me properly on what we were doing and explained why it needed to be done. That is the kind of trainer I will strive to be in my future career.”

Moogalian plans to return to the program as a PALACE acquire intern.

More information about Premier College Internship Program requirements and the application process is available at afciviliancareers.com/student-roa.