Hometown: Bellbrook, OH
Bellbrook High School, 2018 Grad

During his summer internship, Andrew Haberlandt developed code for a software project involving an artificial intelligence system. The recent graduate of Bellbrook High School gained valuable skills working with a software team in AFRL’s Sensors Directorate.

Haberlandt learned how to implement efficient software development workflows that incorporate source code management, issue tracking and documentation. He describes his mentor, Benjamin Heiner, as instrumental to his positive experience.

“The immersion into the project team was invaluable,” he said. “I am thankful that my mentor shaped my internship into such a meaningful learning experience.”

Haberlandt applied to the Wright Scholar program to gain real-world experience in the field of computer science. He explained that this type of work is geared more towards applied research and engineering applications.

He writes code for software (known as programming) designed to support research efforts. One such project involved a web interface to search imagery in a database.

“It was very rewarding to see code I wrote being incorporated into a larger project and contributing toward a larger goal,” he said.

Haberlandt said he enjoyed the team meetings where fellow software developers discussed their work and sought help with issues.

This surprised him since he disliked school projects that required him to present material in front of his peers. However, he revealed that this internship helped him to overcome that insecurity.

“I developed some really important communication skills,” he said. “Now, I’m comfortable speaking in public and I can explain what I'm working on to others.”

In addition to broadening his skills, the internship also opened his eyes to a new career path

“Before my internship, I had never considered a career in research,” he said.

Haberlandt plans to attend The Ohio State University where he will study computer science and engineering. He’s not entirely sure what direction his career will take, but he said that “thanks to this internship, a career in research is now on [his] radar.”