High School Internship With Lockheed Martin Turns Into a Full-Time Career For PLTW Alum

Amy Hughes is a PLTW alumni who participated in a Lockheed Martin internship in high school before accepting a full-time position as a Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin.

Amy Hughes, a talented engineer at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, began her STEM story unexpectedly when she was drawn to a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) class at the age of fourteen.  

“I never imagined that my first Project Lead The Way class would lead to this career. I get to drive to work with F-35’s landing next to me,” Amy said.  

Coming from a family who primarily worked in business and finance, Amy was engrossed in an industry and field she had never been exposed to before. The PLTW Engineering curriculum empowered her to solve real-world engineering problems prior to graduation.  

PLTW’s hands-on approach to teaching and learning helped her grasp the art of the possible and enabled her to envision a potential career path.  

“Without my Project Lead The Way classes, I never would have had the opportunity for an internship here at Lockheed Martin as a high school student, and that has just opened up so many doors for me with both networking and my career,” she said. 

Amy secured a Lockheed Martin internship in high school that acted as a springboard for her career and provided valuable networking connections. It also exposed her to the inner workings of one of the leading aerospace and defense companies in the world. Amy graduated with an engineering degree and has accepted a full-time position as a Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin. 

Amy, and other PLTW alumni who have walked similar paths, are an inspiration to current students who are taking the first steps toward becoming career ready. Amy offered this final advice for current students. 

“Work hard in your internship and in school. When I first got this internship at Lockheed Martin my teacher said, ‘You know, Amy, this is $1,000,000 opportunity,’ and I didn't really know what she meant. Now looking back on it I completely understand that she meant this opened so many opportunities to full-time careers and I could be here all the way until I retire, and it's kind of all thanks to the Project Lead The Way process,” she said. 

Want to hear more from Inspiring STEM Students? Check out the PLTW YouTube Channel. 

PLTW provides PreK-12 schools, teachers, and students with hands-on, interdisciplinary STEM-based curriculum that uniquely prepares students for life and their future careers. PLTW rejuvenates teachers, providing world-class experiences that keep them on the forefront of how to prepare students for the demands of tomorrow. PLTW:

• Has provided professional development opportunities to more than 80,000 teachers giving them the support and resources needed to inspire students
• Offers best-in-class teacher training: PLTW Core Training with Master Teachers
• Continuously updates teacher resources that are available on demand
• Facilitates teacher networking opportunities
• Develops curriculum by a team of writers, many of whom are former teachers

Learn more about PLTW on pltw.org.