College Experiences That Helped Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Engineer Succeed
Michael, a retired Aerospace Engineer, attributes career success to pursuing academic passions, stating "I studied what fascinated me. Materials fascinated me," highlighting a lifelong interest in materials technology and aviation, which began in childhood through reading encyclopedias and ultimately led to a fulfilling career in aerospace. The freedom to study what fascinated them, combined with early exposure to and passion for technical subjects, helped provide the foundation for a successful career at Northrop Grumman.
Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, Passion-Driven Learning, Early Exposure to Technical Concepts, Career Discovery
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Capoccia
Retired Aerospace Engineer
Northrop Grumman Corp.
Cal State University Long Beach
Pepperdine University Masters In Business Administration , Graduate Studies In Program Mngt. and Systems Engineering Cal Tech
Engineering - Chemical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Research and Development (R&D)
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Studied what fascinated him, specifically materials and technology.
2. Immersed himself in learning everything he could about his interests, even from a young age.
3. His early fascination with technology and aviation led him to a career in aerospace, even though he initially had different plans.
Transcript
What did you do in college to set you up for success in your career?
I studied what fascinated me. Materials fascinated me. I learned everything I could.
I was a kid living in El Monte. I'm blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. That's why you want to get vaccinated. By the way, I had all those childhood diseases; they suck. They damage your body for the rest of your life.
Anyhow, that's a little blurb. I used to read my parents' Collier's Encyclopedias. What fascinated me was concrete, making steel, making anything to do with technology, materials, technology, air and aviation.
I knew how a constant speed propeller worked when I was 10 years old. I would read all this stuff and I was fascinated by it. When I graduated college, I had a different idea of what I wanted to do.
When I started working in aerospace, I had this opportunity and realized this was really what I needed to do. I studied this, I loved it, and I got the opportunity to do it for a living.