Student Spotlight: Valerie Kehrer

Valerie Kehrer, a recent graduate of Capitol’s Unmanned and Autonomous Systems program, has accomplished a great deal over the last four years. From her active participation in numerous campus activities and extracurriculars, to her impressive academic pursuits and career development, it’s clear that she is a force to be reckoned with. In our interview below, Valerie shares how she found her passion for UAS, details her involvement with the United States Space Command, and recounts her recent summer internship experience at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. 

1. What initially sparked your interest in aviation and unmanned systems? 

 I always knew I wanted to work with robotics and the military in some sort of way growing up. I didn’t know exactly what field it was that put those two interests together until I toured the campus and found out about the UAS degree. That is when I was able to see the potential and decided to pursue it.  

2. During your time at Capitol, did you participate in any extracurriculars related to your major?  

I participated in the robotics club, IEEE, SWE, S-LAB, and the Drones & RC Club. For a short period of time before Covid hit, I was the president of IEEE. In the Drones & RC club I was the vice president for 3 years, and in S-LAB, I was the vice president during the 2021-22 academic year. 

3. What were the most challenging parts of your educational experience?  

Enduring the challenges that came with being part of the first group of students going through a brand new major to the school. There were many speed bumps in the curriculum and with how some topics were taught.  

4. Were there any particular faculty members who impacted your educational endeavors in a significant way? 

 Dr. Hansen has definitely been the most impactful! He is very knowledgeable and I have learned so much from him during my senior year. He gave me access to many resources to be successful in my senior project as well as my other classes. 

5. What was your favorite project that you worked on during college, either academically or something that was part of an extracurricular? 

The senior project was my favorite to work on. There were many separate entities that had to work together and it was a learning curve which made it so impactful. I was able to use what I had learned over the years on this one project while learning a multitude of new concepts along the way.  

6. What is the most important thing you learned from your time at Capitol? 

 The ability to network and be ambitious for my goals academically which is transferable to life in general as well.  

7. Did your involvement with the USSPACECOM open up any new doors for you in your academic or professional life? 

 I gained valuable connections through my attendance at the event. A couple of the space command professionals were interested in me working as a civilian in the future. All of these connections will be beneficial in my career in the long term as I plan to continue working in military grade UAS.  

8. Can you share some of the insights that you shared with the USSPACECOM during your meeting with them? 

 USSPACECOM is looking to eventually have 60% of their population as civilian workers once it is fully manned. There was much discussion on starting to gain interests in children starting from kindergarten to lead those who are curious on an educational path through grade school towards a career working on space systems. They were also brainstorming ways that the more experienced workers can learn from the younger generation because it was noted that they were more comfortable with modern tech than the older generation as well as adaptable.  

Another major point that was brought up by the board was the demand for people in this field but barriers such as clearances make it difficult to make known that such jobs exist. There is also the issue of USSPACECOM competing with other STEM fields that are more flexible with better pay that makes it difficult to bring new people in. They are also in need of people who understand both the engineering and business side of the industry. This makes it so decisions on both sides are in line and of understanding with each other.  

USSPACECOM made a list of desired research areas which were given to their university members. This list contains desired research fields which anyone associated with the university professors and students alike can participate in. After they receive funding they plan to assist financially for the universities to conduct research but as of now that will have to come from other sources. This is a great opportunity for students to gain experience and build their resumes by working on these projects. 

9. Can you talk a little bit about the work you did as an intern in Florida and what you learned/what kind of opportunities it provided you?  

 During my time as an intern at Eglin AFB, I learned many valuable skills for when working with quadrotors. The internship gave me the opportunity to get an understanding on how the military functions in the research division. I had an amazing mentor and got to know the other contractors in the lab. On a couple occasions I was able to speak to Colonel Meek, the Commander for the Munitions Directorate about the work I was doing as an intern. Through networking with the other AFRL employees and interns I was able to make many good long term connections. 

10. Now that you’ve officially graduated, what is your next step?  

I will be working full time at CACI as a UAS Build Technician. My long term goal is to gain experience in all four domains: air, space, ground, and sea systems.