Many students vacation in Florida, but Ben Branson spent 10 weeks there this summer for a very different reason.
The mechanical engineering sophomore from Madison interned with the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program in Panama City. The NREIP is designed to provide college students in various STEM fields an opportunity to participate in research at a Department of Navy laboratory during the summer.
The program’s goals are to encourage participating students to pursue science and engineering careers, to further education via mentoring by laboratory personnel and their participation in research, and to make them aware of DoN research and technology efforts, which can lead to employment within the agency.
A member of the UM Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Center for Manufacturing Excellence, Branson was made aware of the program through a weekly email from the School of Engineering Student Services office notifying undergraduates of various opportunities for research, co-ops/internships and other professional development opportunities.
“I felt that it was important to begin gaining potential job-related experience early in my college career,” Branson said. “The traditional route is to start seeking internships after sophomore year. I wanted to be ahead of that, so I was looking around for opportunities I thought would be interesting.
“This program was appealing because of the available locations, generous funding and the variety of experiences offered.”
While working with the NREIP program, he was tasked with writing the code for a systems control box being used in a collegiate robotics competition. Through this process, Branson was able to learn the Python language, compile code, troubleshoot problem areas and document his code.
He also learned more about himself along the way.
“Not only did I improve my problem-solving abilities, but I gained great insight into the type of work environment that is the best for me,” Branson said. “This will help me in the future when I am seeking employment.”
Branson said he feels that internships are important because they give students a chance to spot-check their perceived strengths and develop skills in any weak areas. They also provide credibility, necessary training and opportunities to utilize previous classroom experiences in real-world settings.
Entering his second year on campus, Branson is still undecided on his career path but is sure that it will involve design, working with his hands and problem-solving.
“I am certain, though, that the educational opportunities afforded to me at the University of Mississippi will be beneficial regardless of the path I choose after graduation,” he said.