High school senior Diego Vargas has been inspired to become a commercial airline pilot through a coveted internship with United Airlines.
"Right now I'm looking at a career in aviation, mostly in becoming a pilot," Vargas said.
Vargas says the summer California Science Center Flight Team paid internship program provided him a hands-on experience in the world of aviation.
"We're learning how a jet rocket works, and right now we're building a model of a jet rocket," Vargas added.
He shared the most exciting part of his internship.
"The best moment I had with the flight team was the actual trip to San Francisco, because we were all very excited. For many people, it was our first flight. It was my first flight," Vargas said.
"The internship program is a paid internship where high school students spend seven weeks with us during the summer. They focus on three key areas: careers, content and communication, all surrounding the aviation industry," Gretchen Bazela with the California Science Center said.
This is the second summer for the internship program, which is open to 11th and 12th graders. They just have to fill out an application and go through an interview process.
"The program is specifically for students in Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles, so we recruit from two communities. They can apply in the spring for the internship. Again, it is a paid internship. So it's an opportunity to learn aviation, to learn careers, the science behind it, and communication," Bazela said.
United Airlines officials are excited about the program, saying it gives the company an opportunity to tap young talent and expose them to the world of aviation.
"You become a pilot, a flight attendant or a mechanic. You can become an analyst. We're a family. It's a very large family, and it's such a privilege to be a part of this team," Johnathan Cayanan with United Airlines said.