LSU CSE Junior Accepts Internship With Blue Origin

As a middle-schooler, LSU Computer Science junior Jamar Whitfield dreamed of going to outer space. This summer, he will have the opportunity to help others do just that when he interns as a Software Applications Engineer at Blue Origin, the space technology company founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The internship is perfect for Whitfield, who became fascinated with outer space as a child, then became a fan of computer science as a high-schooler going into college.

“I wondered what ways computer science could be applied to space,” he said. “It clicked that the control systems for aircrafts, like rockets, are automated programming.”

Whitfield feels that his LSU Computer Science classes have prepared him pretty well for his internship.

“My LSU CS classes are quite challenging,” he said. “I find that the more demanding my classes become, the more applicable they are to the real world. I’m excited to use the skills I’ve learned at LSU in the real world.”

"Jamar is a shining example of how LSU and the Division of Computer Science & Engineering cultivate the next generation of excellence—taking their talents as far as space, the final frontier,” LSU Division of Computer Science Chair Abe Baggili said.

Whitfield had to interview alongside more than 100 applicants for the internship position. Though Whitfield has not yet been told what his specific duties will include, they would need to remain confidential anyway. In early May, he will begin the 36-hour drive to Blue Origin headquarters in Kent, Wash., his first time ever being that far away from home.

“ I find that the more demanding my classes become, the more applicable they are to the real world. I’m excited to use the skills I’ve learned at LSU in the real world. ”

“I’m from Jackson, La., a pretty small town where my graduating class only had 50-60 students,” he said. “I’m excited about the drive and have been looking at things to do there, like the aircraft museum and national parks like Mount Rainier. There’s also a ferry that goes from Seattle to Canada, so I might go there for a day or two.”

Though Whitfield’s highlight would be seeing a rocket launch, he is excited about networking with a new crowd.

“I’m excited to meet new people, make connections, represent LSU, and do the best I can,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get a return offer.”

Whitfield, who is working on two degrees at LSU—computer science and mathematics—plans on applying to graduate school at LSU, possibly in statistics, something that he calls a “middle field” between his two majors. Until then, he plans to live it up in the Seattle area during his summer internship, which he says is “very cool, and one that a lot of people would love to have.”