Explore STEM. Make scientific discoveries. Invent new technologies. This is what your summer can look like as an AEOP apprentice! There are no better people to explain the benefits of AEOP High School or Undergraduate Apprenticeships than the mentors who work directly with students during the program.

Your apprenticeship can take many shapes, depending on your interests and the expertise of your mentor, according to Javad Shabani, an Assistant Professor of Quantum Phenomena at New York University. Shabani has been a mentor for the AEOP High School Apprenticeship program since 2016 and has helped many students foster their STEM interest and discover the limitless possibilities of research. Javad Shabani, an Assistant Professor of Quantum Phenomena at New York University, has been a mentor for the AEOP High School Apprenticeship program since 2016 and has helped many students foster their STEM interest and discover the limitless possibilities of research.      

“Students get to be part of a real research team and have firsthand experience about the day-to-day process,” said Shabani. “They also become familiar with topics that otherwise might be out of reach. The summer program naturally creates a network among the students and mentors, which can be very helpful down the line for applications and recommendation letters. These experiences are invaluable for students considering a STEM career.”

Suhas Eswarappa Prameela, a current PhD candidate at John Hopkins University, served as a mentor for the AEOP Undergraduate Apprenticeship program in the summer of 2019. Suhas says that the program not only provides benefits to students and young professionals but can be a way for postsecondary institutions to work towards goals of the greater STEM community– like building a more diverse and equitable workforce. 

“Institutions get the opportunity to host talented and hard-working undergraduates with AEOP that in turn allows them to work on projects that are deemed important for the US U.S. Army,” said Suhas. “These undergraduates bring diversity to the student population, enriching the summer experience of many on campus. Hosting AEOP apprentices also provides an opportunity for graduate students at that site to gain invaluable mentorship experience. Furthermore, AEOP provides networking opportunities and the possible return of these undergraduate interns as full-time students for further studies.”

Suhashas maintained close relationships with many of his mentees.

“I have had the great opportunity to serve as an AEOP mentor for 4 students so far. I am still in touch with all of them and very happy to see them doing great things in their careers.”

For more information on the AEOP High School and Undergraduate Apprenticeship programs, click here. We hope to see you there next summer!