Jorge Cisternas

The son of an engineer, Jorge Cisternas always knew he, too, wanted to be an engineer. His father is a computer engineer, but Jorge opted for mechanical engineering. He chose that discipline because it was hands-on, but he never imagined he’d end up working on airplanes. Through the Aerospace Engineering Club at FIU, he found his calling. As club president, he led team members in the building of an unmanned cargo plane that ranked third worldwide and second nationally in the SAE Aero Design Competition.

A natural leader, Jorge also served as a senator in the Student Government Association and in 2015 was named Senator of the Year by his peers. He created Town Hall meetings with the engineering dean, and also spearheaded the Engineering Showcase held in the Green Library Breezeway. There, engineering students showcased their projects, from model airplanes and cars, to bridges and robots.

Over the summer, Jorge interned at Lockheed Martin, a global aerospace, defense and security company. The internship, which he landed through FIU Career and Talent Development, led to a full-time job. This January, he’ll start with the company as a systems engineer in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. His job will be to create scenarios such as bad weather and engine loss for the flight simulators that pilots use for training.