Being a scholar-athlete at Florida Tech takes an incredible amount of hard work and dedication to excel both in the classroom and on the field.
In this Scholar-Athlete Spotlight, we are featuring Florida Tech men's rower
Mason Yaskovic. This summer, the Rockledge, Florida native is gaining meaningful experience at an internship in his desired field. We caught up with Yaskovic to learn more about the incredible opportunity.
What company are you interning for this summer? What was your title and role with the company?
This summer I'm interning for Northrop Grumman in their Aeronautic Systems division. Currently, I am working to support the Systems Engineering Team under the Strike program.
What drew you to this internship?
Melbourne has a wealth of engineering firms located locally, but the prospect of acquiring government clearance to work on classified projects was undeniably the driving force behind my pursuit of this position. As a Mechanical Engineering major, anything to do with jet propulsion or airframe structures is right up my ally.
What are some exciting tasks that you have been able to be a part of?
Unfortunately, due to the sensitive nature of the work we do, I'm not able to give a description of what it is we work on. I can say that as a systems engineer, I get the unique opportunity to work with many different teams within the program in collaborative efforts to achieve a common goal. Essentially systems engineers ensure that the work each team is doing respectively will work together well when they come together. This has given me the opportunity to not only see what life is like as a systems engineer, but also the 'big picture' aspects of other positions as well.
How is your internship preparing you for a career you would like to do after graduation?
I feel that my time interning is preparing me very well. This is my second summer interning with Northrop Grumman, and last year I was asked to continue working part time through the school year. Allowing myself the extended time with the same team of engineers has given me a really good look at what will be required of me upon graduation, when I do go on to become a full-time engineer (likely at Northrop Grumman).
What is your major at Florida Tech? Why did you choose this direction for your education and is this something you always wanted to pursue?
I am currently pursuing a bachelor's in mechanical engineering at Florida Tech, as has always been my goal. I grew up with both parents as STEM majors, with my dad taking multiple leadership roles in NASA at the Kennedy Space Center. Growing up in the midst of rocket launches, behind-the-scenes tours, and other various gear head hobbies my dad has introduced me to, it has always been my goal to become an engineer.
How has being a collegiate athlete prepared you for the work you are currently doing? What traits did you take away from racecourse that are helping you throughout your internship?
Competing in rowing throughout high school and college has done more for me than I can possibly fit in a single paragraph. Obviously, the hard work and self-motivation to push yourself past your limits to accomplish goals is instilled in most athletes, but rowing has given me something more special. Unlike other team sports, in rowing you need to be perfectly in sync with 7 other guys in the boat. Every stroke needs to be spot on identical to everyone else, and that takes an immense amount of cooperation and connection. Its not enough to just get along with others on your team, you truly do need to work with them in every aspect, and its those cooperation and leadership skills that have worked wonders for me in the workplace.
What skills did you acquire at the internship that you plan to bring back to help lead the men's rowing team?
The major takeaway I have from my internship revolves around structure. In systems engineering, the entire job is about forming clear cut plans across multiple teams to achieve a common goal. I feel that now, as a 4-year collegiate rower and senior on the team, I can take more of a leadership role to introduce more effective structure into our workouts, recoveries, and mental strength.
What advice would you give another athlete/prospective athlete who is looking to pursue the path you've taken?
When an opportunity is presented to you, take it. Even if you're unsure of how to do the task, or if you'll have the time, just seize that moment, and jump in with both feet. As a student and an athlete its natural that your schedule can fill up rather quickly, but don't let that stop you from pursuing other interests. There are more hours in the day than you may think.
