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Boeing Encourages Future in Space Industry for Student Hopefuls

HOUSTON, May 21, 2003 - For 20-year old Aisha Hunte, working for the
country's top aerospace company and being involved with the
International Space Station (ISS) program is more than just a dream
come true. For this Texas Southern University (TSU) junior, it's been
her passport to a new frontier and a possible future in an industry
that has been traditionally under-represented by women and other
minorities. 

Hunte, a computer science major, will complete her six-month
participation in a cooperative program at Boeing [NYSE: BA] in June
and walk a way with experiences that few people can imagine.

"The most interesting part of my job is learning more about our
country's space program, especially the experiments that are being
conducted aboard the International Space Station," she says. "This
co-op experience has exposed me to different software programming
tools, technical documentation, payload software subsets, and
practical implementation of the information I learn in school."

Hunte works full time supporting the ISS payload integration team
while attending evening classes as a full-time student at TSU. The
payload integration team is responsible for executing and
coordinating ISS payload engineering, analytical integration,
operations, planning and safety. Among her duties are editing
software documents that ensure payloads communicate properly on the
ISS and debugging software tools. 

"What I like about computer science is that it combines math, science
and critical thinking skills. It allows me to appreciate computer
programming more because you can write software that automates tasks
or extremely reduces the time that it takes to complete them," Hunte
adds. 

The co-op program is a new venture between Boeing, subcontractor Geo
Control Systems, NASA and TSU. It is designed as an avenue for
introducing college graduates to the aerospace industry and a method
for Boeing to cultivate qualified candidates for permanent positions
within the company. The co-op program, unlike most internships,
allows participants to receive college credit while gaining valuable
work experience. 

"Texas Southern University prides itself in opening doors to new
learning opportunities for students beyond the classroom and welcomes
the advanced aerospace education, training and employment prospects
presented by this partnership," says Dr. Priscilla D. Slade, TSU
president. "We are confident that successful participants like Aisha
will lead to more students receiving similar opportunities and build
a mutually beneficial, lasting relationship with Geo Control and
Boeing." 

The co-op is coordinated by Geo Control, which matches qualified
students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to
specific work packages within Boeing that are complementary with the
schools education curriculum.

"We continually try to improve our support to historically black
colleges and small disadvantaged businesses," explains Dr. Joe Mills,
Boeing vice president and program manager, International Space
Station. "Through this partnership with Geo Control, we're
successfully achieving both these goals."

As a regular supporter of HBCUs, minority institutions and
minority-owned businesses across the country, Boeing offers numerous
business, employment and professional growth opportunities to various
establishments. Career Communications Group, publisher of U.S. Black
Engineer & Information Technology magazine, recently ranked Boeing
first among corporations and U.S. government agencies in its support
of historically black engineering schools in the United States.

Geo Control, an engineering services company, is one of 8 small and
small minority-owned businesses providing engineering and technical
support services to Boeing's payload integration team. It is working
with TSU to place more student interns.

The Boeing NASA Systems organization, headquartered in Houston, is
committed to being the leading global supplier of reusable and human
space systems and services. The organization employs about 5,000
people, mostly in Texas, California, Florida and Alabama.

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Contacts:
Tanya E. Deason-Sharp
Boeing NASA Systems
(281) 226-6070

Ed Memi
Boeing NASA Systems
(281) 226-4029

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