Florida Tech Scholar-Athlete Spotlight Recognizes Swimmer, Textron Aviation Intern George Jekov
By Tiffany Jacobs, Florida Tech News Bureau // June 22, 2023
Jekov is majoring in electrical engineering
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – In this Scholar-Athlete Spotlight, we are featuring Florida Tech men’s swimmer, George Jekov. This summer, the Wichita, Kan. native is gaining meaningful experience at an internship in his desired field. We caught up with Jekov to learn more about the incredible opportunity.
■ What company are you interning for this summer? What was your title and role with the company?
I am interning at Textron Aviation which includes Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft. I am working in the Project lifecycle management IT department as an Information System Developer.
In this position, I am working on fixing and developing code for graphical and design management applications that help support the engineers at Textron Aviation. This ensures that all computers and applications can work as intended while reducing the threats for vulnerabilities.
■ What drew you to this internship?
What made me excited about this internship besides being my first internship was being part of a company that I have always heard great things about my whole life and gaining an invaluable learning experience.
■ What are some exciting tasks that you have been able to be a part of?
Being in the IT department has taught me just how important IT is and how much you learn about the company through it. The most exciting part of my role is helping and supporting the engineers at Textron Aviation. It is also exciting learning how large companies operate and problem-solve.
In addition to my position in IT, as an intern, I have been able to explore many different areas within Textron through intern events.
■ What is your major at Florida Tech? Why did you choose this direction for your education and is this something you always wanted to pursue?
My major at Florida Tech was originally computer engineering, but I switched to electrical engineering in my sophomore year. I ultimately made the decision to switch because I have always been interested more in the hardware and physical aspects of things.
Electrical engineering is not something that I had a strong interest in when I was younger and was more interested in mechanical engineering, but as I got older, I started to think more about the future and in what direction the world is moving in, and I believe that electrical engineering complements my interests for mechanical systems and accurately reflects the future.
■ How is your internship preparing you for a career you would like to do after graduation?
Although IT is not the direction I plan for my future career choice, it still teaches me the skills that I will need for the future, like programming and problem-solving.
In addition to the hard skills that I am learning, my internship also helps me improve my soft skills like communication and working as a team effectively. It also acts as a great starting point to learn everything that happens behind the scenes in a corporation that other positions might not offer.
■ How has being a collegiate athlete prepared you for the work you are currently doing? What traits did you take away from the playing field that are helping you throughout your internship?
Being a collegiate athlete has taught me discipline, time management, and being a team player. During my internship, I have used both those skills to be on time, engaged, contribute to the team, and stay on top of my work.
The tough swim schedule that I have during the season has most definitely helped me with this internship to manage my work and life balance effectively.
■ What skills did you acquire at the internship that you plan to bring back to help lead the Men’s Swim team?
By the time the swim season starts again, I’m hoping to carry over the teamwork and communication skills I have been able to improve over the course of my internship. With those skills, I believe it will result in a more positive and hardworking team overall.
■ What advice would you give another athlete/prospective athlete who is looking to pursue the path you’ve taken?
The best advice is to start as early as possible, even if you think you are too young. Go to as many networking events as possible and take advantage of all the resources on campus to help you land your first internship.
CLICK HERE FOR BREVARD COUNTY NEWS
