My coworkers also made my experience great , and I knew I wanted to work at a company that attracted such talented people ,” Dolan said .
After balancing both cheering and engineering on a professional level , Dolan made the move from Boeing ’ s Commercial Business to Boeing Defense , Space & Security ( BDS ).
“ I ’ m excited . It ’ s definitely bittersweet because I loved my previous job . I feel like I ’ ve learned so much being in this integration role and working with cross-functional teams . But I ’ m just as excited to transition to BDS and work on spacecraft . I ’ m also looking to find a way to continue dancing as I move to a new Boeing site .
“ I love airplanes , but I also love space ,” Dolan said . “ So I ’ m really excited to see something totally new and work on a completely different team , on the defense and space side . I ’ m from a military family , so I ’ m excited to support that .”
PHOTO : PAUL WEATHERMAN / BOEING
ECO FRIENDLY : Dolan worked on the 2021 ecoDemonstrator program . Here she is with visiting students next to the Alaska Airlines 737-9 that served as the program ’ s flying test bed .
Dolan has become an expert at balancing her passions , and she encourages others to follow their dreams .
“ You can learn from every person and every experience . All the soft skills and problem-solving skills that I learned outside of school translated so well to now working in the aerospace industry , post-college ,” Dolan said .
“ Interning at Boeing was an incredible experience that got me where I am today . Internship requisitions can be found on the Boeing website , and I also encourage you to seek out career fairs or informational events to attend at your school or in your area . If you can attend , be sure to ask questions and share your experience and why you are excited about aerospace ,” said Dolan .
Her advice to fellow dreamers and doers : “ Take advantage of every experience you have . Learn as much as you can from everything . When you are studying tough material , or you ’ re trying to solve this difficult homework problem and you ’ re discouraged , always remember you ’ re capable .
PHOTO : CECILE MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY
DAWG DANCER : Dolan captained the University of Washington Dance Team .
“ If you really want to succeed in this field , keep working hard , seek out mentors , and bring your passion to everything you do .”
20 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS