Howdy y’all,

Since graduating from Texas A&M back in 2017, I’ve been working for Boeing, where I’ve contributed to the design of several different space vehicles. For the past 6-months, I’ve overseen the production of Starliner, Boeing’s new manned space capsule. I’d like to share some wisdom I’ve gained along the way and offer an idea of what life can be like for an Aggie engineer post-graduation.

I’m definitely blessed to have a job that excites me every day. One might think that I feel this way because I design and build spaceships for work. This, however, is not the case. The reason I’m excited by what I do is simply because I choose to be. This might sound like one of those idealistic notions so often presented at business seminars and general-studies lectures, but I can definitely say that it is true and will elaborate on how I’m able to accomplish it.  

I choose to let my thoughts dwell on the more fascinating parts of my job.

For example, yesterday I spent several hours on the admittedly uninteresting task of scouring paperwork to make sure that the capsule was built correctly per its design; I barely give this a second-thought though when thinking about yesterday, the day I drove the length of Florida’s Kennedy Space Center with the windows down and Van Halen blaring over my stereo, only to climb up the side of a rocket and inspect a spaceship that I helped build, all while staring out at the beautiful ocean view provided by the rocket’s height and proximity to the shore. In my mind, the memory of the long hours spent reconciling paperwork is relegated to a state of minutiae, eclipsed by a rush of adrenaline and the sense of pride I feel knowing the broader purpose of what I do. 

For situations where it can be tough to maintain this level of zeal, I turn the work into a game and make it fun.  

I first tried this my junior year in MEEN 222, when I was faced with writing a lab report on vibrational dampening in a cantilevered beam. I made it my goal to incorporate lyrics from the Beach Boys’ song “Good Vibrations” in a way that was both constructive to the report and seamless enough to avoid being caught by the grader. I found a way to do so and received an “A” for the paper. I’m probably prouder of that “A” than any other I’ve ever received, as it inspired me to start taking the mundane and making it interesting.  

By finding joy wherever I can and creating it where I can’t, I truly enjoy my life and can say with certainty that I look forward to my future as an Aggie engineer at Boeing.

I hope that some part of what I said above might serve as inspiration.

Gig ‘em,
Mitch Carson ’17

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