Page 8 - The MIL Connection: Fall 2024

SoMD 2030 Workforce Development Internship Program

REPS and Cyber Sectors mentor college interns

This summer, MIL hosted two summer interns, Molly Kollar and Collin Smith, as part of the company’s participation in
the SoMD 2030 Workforce Development program. MIL worked in coordination with The Patuxent Partnership to make the
internship program a success. During their eight weeks at MIL, our interns were mentored by Natalie Wolfe, a mechanical
engineer in the Rapid Engineering & Prototype Solutions (REPS) Sector, and Rick Miller, MIL AVP and Cyber Warfare
Engineering Services PM in the Cyber Sector.
During her time with MIL, Molly supported the design of ground control stations and improvement of MIL’s internal
prototyping capabilities. She developed MIL’s new blueprint for 3D printing with ABS filament, created a new inventory system
for internally managing material, and developed CAD models that helped to provide site documentation for system deployment.
Molly’s work exposed her to problem solving, troubleshooting, and the engineering design lifecycle in real time.
Collin is a current Junior at UMD in College Park pursuing dual bachelor's degrees in computer science and math who is
mentored by Rick Miller. While interning with us, Collin gained first-hand exposure to Naval Aviation, NAVAIR’s acquisition
lifecycle, and the dynamic world of cyber warfare while being challenged with conducting a Cyber Security Risk Assessment
of a Diebold voting machine, designing and implementing the classic computer science “Dining Philosophers” problem, and
solving (decrypting) the fourth “quadrant” of the CIA’s Kryptos sculpture.
In addition to mentoring Molly and Collin, Natalie and Rick evaluated their interns in eight NACE career readiness
competencies (career and self-development, communication, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, leadership, professionalism,
teamwork, and technology) and provided general internship feedback as well as inputs to improve for next year’s program.

End of internship celebration!

On August 2nd, 43 college interns, including MIL interns Molly Kollar and Collin Smith, were recognized for completing their
eight week internship as part of the SoMD 2030 Workforce Development initiative at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
Association. Rising sophomore, junior, and senior college students interned at 34 companies, including MIL, throughout the
Southern Maryland area. Company supervisors and colleagues, The Patuxent Partnership board members, and some SoMD 2030
board of advisors also were present to celebrate their achievements. Several of the interns will continue to work for their host
company on a part-time basis during the academic year – continuing the momentum of growing the workforce in the region.
MIL EVP Tom Clark shared his thoughts on the summer program: “The opportunity to collaborate with such a respected
organization has been invaluable to MIL and the interns we hosted. I am especially thankful for the outstanding leadership and
mentorship provided by MIL’s Rick Miller and Natalie Wolfe, whose guidance and dedication have left a lasting impact on our
interns, Molly and Collin. Their efforts have not only enriched the learning experience for these talented individuals but have
also strengthened our commitment to building the STEM pipeline in the Southern Maryland community.”
SoMD 2030 was funded by NAWCAD to build the STEM pipeline, increase career opportunities, and connect talented students
with apprenticeships and internships in Southern MD.
To learn more about the program, visit: https://paxpartnership.org/somd-2030-workforce/

8 | the MIL connection | fall 2024