DAYTON —
Jordan Stanley enters the 2022-23 season as one of five seniors on the women's basketball roster under second-year head coach
Kari Hoffman. The Cincinnati native appeared in 17 games last year, including her first collegiate start in Wright State's season finale against Oakland. Off the court, Stanley is in the midst of a summer internship at GE Aviation in Dayton. We caught up with the engineering major to discuss her roles at GE Aviation and the challenges of balancing practices, classes, and an internship.
What are some of your roles and responsibilities as a summer intern?
I am currently an intern at GE Aviation in Dayton, where I work at the EPISCenter. Specifically, I am an Early Identification Program (EID) intern for the test automation team, so I am working on a box that controls when things are going on during testing to tell you if it is safe or not to enter the test cell. If it is safe, the light will turn green, and you can enter the cell. If the light is red, testing is going on, and you cannot enter the cell. As a mechanical engineering major, it helps me apply my knowledge gained through college to real-world problems, which is cool to experience.
Are you hoping this internship translates to a future career?
Working for GE Aviation has always been a dream of mine, so interning for them during college has been the perfect opportunity. I actually applied for their Master's program and will have an interview with them shortly. You get to explore different areas within the United States, so I might be coming to Florida to check out their Jacksonville site. Since it has a lot of mechanical work, I can use the information I have used here at my internship to work for them full-time. The idea of that is neat to think about.
How has Wright State prepared you for your internship and future career?
One of the main reasons I picked Wright State was its excellent engineering program. The professors not only prepare you for engineering but also for real-world situations, which is essential as an engineer. While you can use hand calculations and know all these formulas, you will not succeed as an engineer if you cannot apply the information to real-world projects. The advisors and engineering department have also helped me stay on track by signing up for classes I need and expanding my interests outside of engineering. I have realized the importance of applying engineering with skills gained through practices outside my major.
What has been the biggest challenge faced this summer?
Doing my internship and doing summer workouts for basketball has been the most challenging part over the last few months. I tend to go to work in the morning for a couple of hours and leave during lunchtime for practice. As soon as practice is over, I come back to work. The day is not structured at times since I have to start something, then stop, and return to it later. It is not my favorite because I get off topic and have to retrack what I was doing in the morning to get caught up. However, it has helped with my time management, especially since I am also taking two summer classes. Between basketball, my internship, and classes, my priorities are set straight so I can accomplish everything.
Are you able to find time to enjoy your college experience despite juggling a hectic summer schedule?
Usually, I work an 8-hour shift to go along with practice, classes, and homework. After all of that, I try to find time to hang out with my teammates and friends or go home if needed. I find time to relax on the weekends because my schedule is so hectic and busy Monday to Friday. Being able to relax, hang out with friends, and do things I love to do keeps me sane.
Speaking of time management, has your busy schedule helped you improve as a student-athlete?
Being a student-athlete has increased my time management and work ethic because I am forced to find time to do homework for school or complete projects for my internship. Even though I am going to school for basketball, it has also taught me that being a student comes first. Finishing coursework or attending lectures and study tables are important because you cannot compete in athletics without academics. Emphasizing academics has helped me find a balance between my social life, schooling, and athletics.
