Not everyone can turn a handshake into a job offer, but, in a whirlwind of events, one Jackson State University student managed to secure an internship with a Fortune 500 company.
Elisha Frazier, a junior electrical engineering student, attended the BEYA (Becoming Everything You Are) STEM conference in Philadelphia, Pa., in late February. The first item on his itinerary was a mentoring seminar hosted by Northrop Grumman, a global security company.
Frazier, a native of Jackson, says he still finds the turn of events improbable.
“I’m glad I woke up early that morning,” said Frazier, with his eyes wide. During the seminar, Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush sparked Frazier’s interest when he talked about the company’s current projects. When the seminar concluded Frazier introduced himself to an employee, who subsequently whisked him to a human resources professional. That led to a one-on-one between Frazier and Bush.
“We had a really good conversation. He was a kind man and seemed willing to talk to me for a minute. I mentioned it was my first time at BEYA, my first time hearing of or being exposed to Northrop Grumman. (The exposure) had a good impact on me. It seemed like a really great company,” he said.
Bush seemed similarly impressed with Frazier. The CEO said, “Take my business card. Go to our career booth and tell them I sent you.” He had one of his senior leaders walk me over to the career fair.
“I started to fill out forms, but they told me not to worry about interviews: they were offering me a job,” said Frazier, shaking his head in disbelief. “My first time going to BEYA, and my first exposure to a big company – a Fortune 500 company. I never heard of Northrop Grumman. I get introduced to the CEO; I get hired on the spot.”
While he doesn’t know which field of study he’ll focus on in his internship, Frazier hopes to study in their electronic systems department.
Frazier said he feels a sense of synchronicity and favor in these events. “If you have your relationship right with God, you go to school with a good attitude and maintain your work ethic, surround yourself with positive people with positive mindsets. … All these things add up together and seem to be working good for me,” he said.
Frazier is excited to bring his knowledge to bear on projects and products. “I know I can do the book things and the classes. I can complete the homework and the quizzes and the tests. I’m worried about the real world problems, right? How can I respond to that; how can I grow in real world companies?”
Frazier is president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and assisted in coordination of campus 2016 National Engineering Week events. He will represent JSU at the National Society of Black Engineers Conference in Boston, Mass., in late March.