Computer science student Takori Rooks ’23 has been working hard at his co-op in Oklahoma City with Boeing where he collaborates with some of the most intelligent engineers in the country.
What brought me to Pacific
I’m originally from Memphis, Tennessee, but I have a large amount of family living in California who showed me around Los Angeles when I was young. This sparked inspiration in me to attend college in California.
The co-op program is mainly what drew me to University of the Pacific and also the opportunity to play collegiate mens basketball during the process of completing my degree.
The courses I took at Pacific taught me how to learn. I’ve been in courses where I’ve had to really apply myself to do well, and I put that same effort into the job I work today.
Why I majored in computer science
I used to play a lot of video games with my older brother growing up. I became interested in the improvements in graphics on the new iterations of games every year which pushed me to take my first coding class in high school. I enjoyed creating new entities in this digital format which pushed me to become a computer science major.
My favorite part of working at Boeing
I get to work in a field that I am passionate about. My father was an aircraft mechanic which was my introduction to the aerospace industry. This became one of my passions and to work at Boeing allows me to learn and work with engineers who are passionate about the same things as I am.
How this co-op has challenged me
There is a huge learning curve to starting in this industry. The engineers at Boeing speak a different language that takes a while to get the hang of.
How this opportunity helped me settle on a career path
I originally was not sure what I wanted to do. I was in between doing game development or software development, but I was hired in cybersecurity. Being exposed to an entirely new field has changed my perspective on what it is I want to do.
Also, within Boeing, there are hundreds of different positions that you are encouraged to try to find what you like.
My advice to students who are just starting a new co-op looking to make the most out of it
Network, Network, Network. Make as many meaningful relationships as you can. If you don’t know something, ask. In my experience people are inclined to help because they know that you are an intern.
Want to learn more about what Pacific students are up to this summer? Keep an eye on People of Pacific this summer for more internship diaries!