Tech student accepted into premier program

Next May, Sequoia Pflug of Anaconda will graduate from Montana Technological University where he is majoring in computer science and software engineering.

By summer, he will be participating in the selective premier college intern program at Hill Air Force Base in Salt Lake City. Under the program, he will be mentored by top engineers for the U.S. Air Force.

Pflug went to college to integrate software engineering and computer science knowledge with aviation. While pilots have manual control of airplanes during takeoff and landing, most modern aircrafts utilize highly sophisticated computer systems to operate.

"Their branch is one of the few that does software development for F-16s and F-35s," Pflug said. "To be able to do exactly what I want to do is so cool."

According to a Montana Tech official, landing a job in the aviation software industry can be a challenge though. It's a niche market. Pflug's journey to his dream job started when a recruiter from Hill Air Force Base held an event at Montana Tech. Only three students attended, and Pflug hit it off with the recruiter, who offered him an interview that went well.

Pflug says he's excited to work in a think-tank type environment for an agency that predicts long-term future growth. The 309th Software Engineering Group that Pflug will be part of is expected to hire 3,000 engineers between 2019 and 2029. The PAQ program is also focused on educational advancement. Pflug is planning to get a master's degree in robotics, which the government will pay for him to pursue full-time as part of his employment benefits.