09/22/2025 The Intern Files: Building the Future of Aerospace at Moeller
Category:At Moeller Aerospace, shaping the future of flight means investing in the future of talent. Our Summer 2025 interns were at both our Wixom and Harbor Springs locations, taking part in manufacturing, engineering, and IT. They rolled up their sleeves, worked side by side with our operators and engineers, and contributed to the real-world production of aerospace parts, including high-precision turbine engine components and tooling.
Whether coding, assembling tooling, or creating reports to improve operational efficiency, this year’s interns brought insight, energy, and commitment to every project. We’re proud to showcase their work, and continue supporting the next generation of aerospace talent through summer internships as well as our sponsorship with the Baylor Rocketry Club and even a Northern Michigan University Senior Engineering Design Project.
Harbor Springs Interns
Luke Shehigian – Quality Engineering
Luke’s summer began with a full immersion in quality systems, from confirming part inventories to building preventative maintenance programs for all shop floor machines. His capstone project was implementing QDAS, a real-time data analysis tool, on 5-axis grinders and EDMs.
“My first project was to take inventory for 1881’s and confirm data on struts… My last project was getting QDAS running on all the 5-axis grinding machines… The idea with QDAS is that if operators can view the trends… they can make adjustments on the fly and hopefully less non-conforming parts. I also helped out in the airflow room… which I found pretty enjoyable.”
Luke also supported the airflow room and became unexpectedly fond of that environment. He credits his growth to close interactions with engineers and operators, saying:
“A great introduction to a full-time job in an engineering/manufacturing field… I learned so much about… how a shop runs, how people interact, and what is expected of everyone…”
Braeden Colberg – Tool Design Engineering
Braeden’s summer started with SolidWorks conversions and fixture design, then escalated into leading the build of a custom pressure washer for cleaning turbine blades that may have foreign object debris (FOD). He handled design, ordering parts, safety testing, and more; gaining experience with hydraulics, pneumatics, and fabrication.
“During my first few weeks… I worked on designing a new clamping fixture… I was then tasked with designing, building, testing a power washer to clean otherwise scrap blades… I mainly worked on the initial design concept… ordered the parts… After the building was completed, we… started testing washing blades to remove FOD.”
Braeden praised the tool room engineers for mentoring him, and highlighted Moeller’s culture of collaboration and excellence:
“Transformative, as I created and designed something that will last for a lifetime…”
Madison Allen – Tool Design Engineering
Madison co-led the FOD power washer project and specialized in developing drawings, implementing hydraulic systems, and refining design features for operator use. She also took on a side project and developed her SolidWorks skills significantly.
“During my internship I was tasked with improving upon an existing power washer project… Over the course of the summer, I was able to work with hydraulics, pneumatics, and a variety of different machines on the shop floor…”
Her favorite part? Learning to crimp fittings, working on mills, and being trusted to design components that were actually used. She described Moeller as a place where:
“My Moeller internship experience could be summed up by the word ‘captivating’… To be able to witness so many parts of aerospace engineering and manufacturing… has been an amazing experience.”
Jeremiah Bethke – Metrology
Jeremiah joined the Metrology team and hit the ground running. He helped get QC-CALC up and running, created detailed manuals, and learned how to keep measurement systems accurate and functional for critical part inspections.
“I stepped out of my comfort zone and did things I’ve never attempted before… It was rewarding.”
From observing equators and gauges to helping manage calibration tools, Jeremiah was immersed in the shop’s data-driven precision environment.
“I learned so much about computer engineering… and working in a production environment.”
Synjin Shanley – IT
Synjin brought analytical muscle to the Harbor Springs IT team, building a Power BI usage dashboard and a MITS Ticket Tracker. These tools improved visibility into inactive reports and open tickets across the company.
“I was able to work on two Power BI reports and a Syteline project… This helped us determine what reports are inactive… and gave detailed information on tickets… to see if there were any old tickets that have not been closed.”
He enjoyed applying MySQL theory from school to live databases, learning how departments rely on real-time information to coordinate the production of turbine engine components.
“If I had to sum my experience into one word or phrase, it would be ‘eye-opening’… There are so many complex interactions… to keep things running smoothly.”
Synjin described the culture at Moeller as “hard-working and close-knit,” and left confident in his career direction.
Wixom Interns
Sebastian Cosma– Manufacturing
Sebastian entered Moeller Aerospace unsure of what to expect, but quickly acclimated to the fast-paced environment. He spent much of his summer working on spar vanes and test parts for high-profile customers, including components tied to SpaceX. Along the way, he sharpened his CAD and CAM skills while getting hands-on experience with EDM cutters and precision work holding tools.
“My CAD skills definitely atrophied before this, so it was good to relearn some things and learn others… Seeing the prints and technical diagrams I learned how to make, actually being used and referenced for machining, was pretty cool.”
The internship also gave him a new perspective on the aerospace industry.
“It was surprising that all these parts for major firms were being produced right here.”
Sebastian summed up his experience in one word: “Insightful.”
Joshua Potas – Manufacturing
Joshua described his first day as relaxed, with a friendly team that immediately made him feel welcome. Over the summer, he expanded his skills in Microsoft Excel, SolidWorks, and lathe operations, while rotating through a variety of projects on the shop floor.
“This place is better than your average shop… you get to learn something new every day.”
He found real-world applications for lessons learned in class and valued how Moeller gave him meaningful work, not repetitive tasks.
“You don’t just get stuck in a loop like other companies… It’s quick but not stressful.”
He described his experience as a “stepping stool” that prepares you for the next stage of a career in aerospace.
Madi Nelson – Sub-Contracts
Madi joined the Sub-Contracts team and quickly overcame first-day nerves thanks to a welcoming environment. She collaborated with Gail and her team, gaining valuable exposure to supply chain management, finance, inventory, and purchasing.
“Working with Gail and her team has given me valuable insight into the real-world dynamics of supply chain. Their guidance and passion… strengthened my motivation to pursue a career in this industry.”
Her internship emphasized the importance of professional communication, ERP systems like Syteline, and the role of supply chain in keeping aerospace production running smoothly.
“It gave me real-world insight into supply chain and helped me see the bigger picture of what I’m studying… To see how delays or shortages impact operations first-hand made classroom concepts feel real.”
For Madi, the summer was “eye-opening” and cemented her passion for pursuing a career in supply chain.
Ashton Boichot– Engineering
Ashton’s summer centered on engineering and design, from tooling drawings to modeling SpaceX parts. He credited his mentor, Rob, for giving him meaningful work that pushed his skills, rather than just busywork.
“Rob made it a point to give me tasks that are useful and not just busy work… I worked on everything from tooling drawings to modeling SpaceX parts.”
Over the course of the internship, Ashton developed his 3D modeling skills significantly and gained insight into the process behind manufacturing aerospace parts.
“It taught me about the whole process of manufacturing a part. I never thought about what it took to manufacture something.”
He described the experience as “eye-opening” and especially enjoyed working with SolidWorks and seeing how much preparation goes into producing a single aerospace component.
Learning in Action
Whether it was operating mills, configuring data systems, designing tooling for FOD removal, or running inspection analytics, the interns didn’t just observe. They built, analyzed, tested, and iterated. Their work touched nearly every part of the production lifecycle for aerospace parts.
More than that, they got a taste of Moeller’s culture: where precision matters, teamwork is everything, and the end goal is excellence, from the floor to the final product.
Thank You!
A big THANK YOU to our interns for bringing your time and talent to Moeller Aerospace this summer! We enjoyed having you, appreciate your hard work, and wish you the very best as you take your next steps in your education and career.
Ready to Take Off?
If you’re a student, graduate, or experienced professional looking to make a real impact in aerospace, we invite you to consider Moeller Aerospace. From high-precision turbine engine components to self-locking technology, we build what helps the world fly!
Explore Careers at Moeller Aerospace and be part of the future of flight.
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