Stay Current PSA Newsroom
July 30, 2026
Celebrating National Intern Day
National Intern Day is a celebration of interns and also a reminder of the value internships bring to both students and employers. These opportunities introduce students to potential career paths and help companies develop the next generation of talent. At PSA, our internship program gives students firsthand exposure to the aviation industry while helping them build skills that will support their future careers. This National Intern Day, we are introducing our four Charlotte-based PSA interns and sharing a look at their experiences with PSA this summer.
- Sophia McCartney (Engineering intern) is a rising sophomore at California Polytechnic State University with a major in biomedical engineering.
- Abria Kornegay (Marketing and Communications Intern) is a rising senior at East Carolina University with a major in communications.
- Jaren Rhem (Engineering intern) is a rising junior at Pennsylvania State University with a major in aerospace engineering.
- Nate Milin (Human Resources Talent Systems Intern) is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
What surprised you most about working in aviation or at PSA?
“One thing that surprised me about working in aviation is how much backend work goes into getting planes in the air safely and on time. I’ve always experienced flying from a customer perspective, but it takes so much work to make sure these aircraft meet every regulation when they fly.” – Sophia
“What surprised me most about working in aviation is how complex the industry is and how every department is connected some way or another. When I first started out, I attended the safety pop-in and ended up learning about how safety can affect every team within PSA Airlines. From there, I got to visit the IOC and even sit in a dispatcher training for a little bit!” – Nate
How has this internship helped you grow personally and professionally?
“This internship has helped me grow professionally by giving me the opportunity to learn from experts in the aviation field. It has also helped me grow personally and reconsider where I want to work after graduation, because I originally didn’t plan to go into aviation specifically. I’m even switching my undergrad major to study something more relevant to what I’m learning here at PSA.” – Sophia
Was there a project, experience, or moment this summer that had the biggest impact on you? Why?
“Getting to visit the American Airlines hangar was the experience that had the biggest impact on me this summer. I’ve spent a lot of time during this internship looking at aircraft and their maintenance protocols in manuals, but it was cool to see how it all looks in real life.” – Sophia
“The AA Hub Tour probably had the biggest impact on me. Being able to see what goes on behind the scenes with training of pilots and maintenance of planes was amazing. I also learned a ton about airport flows, competition between airlines, and aviation industry in general. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable!” – Nate
What was your favorite travel experience at PSA?
“My favorite travel experience was being able to use my non-rev privileges to travel to Las Vegas where I got to explore Red Rock National Park and saw a Cirque de Soleil show.” – Sophia
“My favorite travel experiencing was flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico and going to the beach.” – Abria
