Written by Victoria Martinez
In February 2018, Culverhouse, in collaboration with The Boeing Company, offered a bootcamp experience to 28 sophomores and juniors. Over the course of an afternoon, the group worked through a simulation to acquire and build a helicopter. Students worked in groups, each led by a Boeing mentor, to bid on a contract to build a helicopter, source the materials once they won the bid, and report on progress. At the end of the simulation, each group delivered a presentation to Boeing and were evaluated.
“I was expecting some lectures and some activities today,” said one student. “[But today’s bootcamp] was a lot more practical than I thought it would be. If you want to work for Boeing in a financial aspect, the simulation is something that the job would look like.” The bootcamp gave students the chance to experience directly the actual work that happens at Boeing every day.
The Boeing bootcamp not only served as beneficial for student participants, but also for the industry partner. Daniel Beggs, senior accounting manager for Boeing, Culverhouse grad (1998) and member of the College’s Board of Visitors explained the value that experiential learning provides: “This gives the students a chance to understand what will happen in the real world, but at the same time, the Boeing team gets early eyes on a pipeline of talent. It’s really about seeing who stands out in the crowd, who’s going to be a leader, who’s going to do a good job, and who will fit into our culture at Boeing.”