The recipients of the 2015 EAA/Daher International Scholarships—Dana Atkins and Mitchell Rufer, both students at the University of North Dakota—are attending EAA AirVenture 2015 as part of their aviation experience.
Atkins, from Sycamore, Illinois, is majoring in aviation management while Rufer, from DeForest, Wisconsin, is double majoring in airport management and air traffic control.
The joint internship program is now in its ninth year, with each recipient receiving a five-week internship at Daher’s Tarbes facility in France, followed by a week assisting Daher during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. All travel, lodging, and work experience is included, as well as trips to the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, and the Paris Air Show.
"I was at a loss for words, which is unusual for me, I couldn't believe I had been selected," Rufer said in a feature story on the university's website. "Since Dana got the other position, we haven't been able to stop talking about it."
The interns have the opportunity to interact with Daher employees as part of a cultural exchange. Nicolas Chabbert, the senior vice president of Daher’s Airplane Business Unit, said the overseas opportunity provides a one-of-a-kind experience and equips the two students with hands-on knowledge in the aviation industry.
“Dana and Mitchell spent time with our team in France, gaining expertise in their fields of interest—such as marketing, production, organization, design, support and service," said Chabbert, who is also the president of the U.S. Socata North America subsidiary. "We hope this will make a difference in their future careers, while also benefitting our company by working with the next generation of aviation industry decision-makers.”
