It’s never too early to make a difference, as 10 Aerospace interns demonstrated on June 15—and these kids certainly did make that difference, with just a half-day commitment!

Our interns got to serve as mentors to at-risk middle-school students, as part of the Los Angeles Team Mentoring (LATM) organization’s School’s Out Leadership Camp. This is a five-day college awareness experience offered to middle-schoolers, in which they’re provided an opportunity to build their leadership skills, set goals, go on field trips to colleges, and most importantly, learn exactly how they can start planning for college NOW!  

So how did this union of Aerospace interns and middle-school students come to be?  

LATM, whose mission is to guide middle-school students growing up in challenging urban environments, participated in an Aerospace STEM tour in March. LATM was seeking mentors to sit with and interview middle-school students on their culminating projects. It also wanted mentors who would give these adolescents the tools and support necessary to make positive choices during a critical part of their lives. 

We at Aerospace felt that this was the perfect opportunity for our interns, since they had already gone through college application process. Our conscientious interns asked thought-provoking questions of the middle-schoolers, offered inspiration, and provided valuable college and career insight.  

We have to say—it was the perfect match.